Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-06-06
NEW YORK SRARPERS.
Men Whose Only Stock in Trade is
Cheek.
Forty Shrewd Business Men Defrauded by
Viola" Fresh from Vassar---The Pic
ture Trick How Some Editors
Were Taken In.
Allen Forman's ReU York Letter.

the POCKETS OF the unWary rural visitor
that We are wont to look upon the bunkC
game as the principle employment of tn,
genus crook. The fact ia that bunko is tas
going out of date, and is fast being sup
planted by more ingenious and less tsmili
ar modes of swipdhng. Not long ago
was strolhng up Park ow, when CHANGED
to meet lawyer somewhat prominent in q
certain class Of criminal cases. After q
few moments chat invited him to accom-
psny me to the theatre
No have to zee q client of mine.
Come with me aud I'll show you a new
phase Of life. I'll introduce you to the
crooks.
So you are an editor2' said one, a
bright, energetic looking young fellow, who
looked for Ill the world like rising young
merchant or broker. "Well, / made
quite pile out Of your brethren of the pen
last summer. was strolling up Fulton
street one day when CHANGED to spy one
of these toy type.writers in window. 1t
was simply a wire with an alphabet of let
tiers strung on it, and retsiled for 81. An
idea struck me, and went into the place
aud made bargain with the man to buy
100 for $50, paid $40 deposit, aud took one
Of the machines home to play with, 1t
struck me that the average editor considers
himself particularly we'll posted, and would
therefore, be unwary and good came. l
had lot of circulars printed stating that
The Typewriter Exchange and Repair.
ing Company made q speciality of dealing
in secondhand type. writer's, and that it now
had on hand large number Of machines
more or less used, but all in good condition
These put down in three Glasses, at S25,
$40 and $50 respectively, and
WOUND UP WITH GLOWING EULoGr
upon the merits of the typewriter as labor
saving device. took these circulars and
mailed them to a carefully selected let OF
papers, each with letter 70 the editor, tell
ing how charmed | WAS with his particular
paper, row | appreciated i's value Gs an ad-
vertising medium, and Offering typewriter
OF any OF the the three classes for halt cash
and half advertising. 1t was not long be-
fore the answers began to come in, aud
of the letters contained cssh
To make long story short in less than
three weeks | sold my 100 typewriters,
which cost me siXty cents each, at an aver
aye of $50 apiece, and all to editors. But
then, now the abusive letters began to pour
in. They were positively tiresome, except
one man. who wrote that | was an Internal
swindler, but that il Id send ciaculsr to
the editor Of the rival paper in the next
town, Id catch him, and the writer would
call things square. | sent the circular and
caught the editor" The young man paused,
and one of the com panY broke in with:
That is like Boo's old game OF advertis-
ing fine steel engravings Of Washington,
Franklin and Garfield for fifty cents each
and sending one, three and five cent post.
sge stamps in reply"
Advertising pays" commented hand
some young fellow, with drawl in his voice
and a dropping blonde mustache Last
spring had nothing to do and only about
$500 IN my pockets | knew if stayed in
New York | should blow it in at faro, so
decided 20 run up to Poughkeepsis pro-
vided myself before going with lot of pho
of good looking girls, and put up
Al the best hotel in the place Then
SENT PERSONAL ADvERrIsENEYT
to big newspaper in New York, Pnilaiel-
phis and Boston:
A YOUNG lady recently graduated from Vassar,
"A possessing decided dramatic ability, but no
money wishes to meet a liberal, honorable gentle
man. who will assist her in fitting for tho stage
Address VIOLA, box TO- PoushEeepde Z. u.
The answers came in perfect stacks |
did not know there were 80 many enthusi. |
Astic patrons Of the drama. | carefully &C.
Iecsed the beat and opened q correspond
snce. | can write ladys hand Afer !
had hooked my fish | sent on photograph |
Then explained that | would ne d from
S25 to 5 90 10 get to New York. Boston or
Philadelphia as the case might be, and as
thought my victim would stand, and the
notes began to come in. cleared over
sllOO intwo weeks and concluded TO close
things up. | wrote to my New York sd
mirers that | would come 10 to~n by Ger.
tain train, and asked each TO meet me at
the Grand Central depot with red rose in
his left buttonhole, Tor Identification AS
| walked down the platform | was greeted
by the comicsl sight of not less than forty
welld.essed men, with red roses in their
lett buttouholes. each trying to look urcon-
cerned and each suspectiug al the others.
Every clever com nented one Of the
group and served the old rsscals right,
too Bat think Arches picture trick was
about as neat as airy
What was thst2' inquired
why, you know Archie is very clever
fellow, belongs 10 good family, ia a Hsr.
ward graduate; he's always up TO some
scheme which is simply Napoleopic in lite
holiness, replied the fist speaker. Not
long ago an old gentleman, who ia veal
thy iron manufacturer ont West and great
art collector, came to New York and regis.
tered at one of the big uptown hotels.
ARCHIE Rad HIS EYE on HIM,
and early the next morning called. He
Jaw the old gentleman and represented
himself as special partner in the firm Of
Goupil & Co. The hoaSs was in financial
difficulties, he said, having made large pur-
chsses of expansive foreign works OF art
and we're Winding up their affairs. This
vas, however, secret aud not known to the
employees OF the firm. They were quietly
selling of the pictures now in the gallery at
a great sacrifice, and kno Sing the old gen
tlemsn to be & great sdmirer Of art, he had
ventured TO state the case frankly to him
The old gentleman was highly Hattered and
pleased and accompanied Archie down to
Goupil's and went through the gallery
Archie is thoroughly posted on art aud
matters, and offered the pictures at what
the old gentleman knew to be about halt
their values Before he left he had ordered
about $1,000 worth of paintings at Arch.ss
reduced prices. 'NoE ssia Archie we
ssnOw you to be perfectly good, 80 if you will
give us your check for $4,000 70 bind the