Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-14
BEATING THE sHARPeRs.

/ BEATING THE SHARPERS.
Grand Army Vets Who Were Too Sharp
for the Bunko-Men.
Notwithstanding the popular news
paper fiction of sharpers meeting green
strangers and getting hoist by their
own petard. the fact is, that when an
expert confidence man puts his tenta-
cles upon sucker" something usu-
ally comes before he lets go. The en-
campment here has furnished few
bona fide exceptions to the rule that
are worthy of chronicling. The low
fares and the presence of so vast a
number of strangers have of course
drawn great number of sharks to San
Francisco. This class is distinct from
pickpockets and thieves. 1t is formed
of confidence operators, pure and SIM
pie. prepared to victimizc the Grand
Army of the Republic strangers at any
thing from bunko to monte. Some Of
them come from Chicago, some from
ST. Louis, and there are two or three
faces on the street that are familiar to
Inspector Byrnes and his detectives at
New York. One of the metropolitan
''outtit' was lamenting his lack of
luck to party of friends in Kear-
ny street sporting resort the other
evening.
II had been reading up army his
tory for about month, he said, land
was well posted on the leading battles.
You see wanted to be able to talk to
the veterans, but it turned out that it
got me into a pretty tight fix. got
acquainted with an old fellow and
found that he had been in the battle of
Gettysburg. l wanted to draw him
into poker game and to make myself
solid, and said: why, was in that
tight, too.
."Is that SOP he said. you amt
a G. A. r., are you?'
mo- / answered.: I don't care
| to join for private reasons
so YOU were at Gettysburg? the
old fellow went on What division,
cow, did you belong TOP
"'To Sickles'.'
''Yes, yes-why, belonged to that,
too. Where were you the night after
the first days fighting?'
60 slept in barn on Culp's HILL
1 answered, cautiously, for l felt was
getting into deep water.
"'Nor he exclaimed. what kind
of a looking barn was it?'
"'Well, l said, at random, 'as near
as l can remember it was a small,
single-story building, with one side
| partly blown out.
"'No! Was there a straw-rick in it?'
"I don't know | said, desperately;
| 4 believe there was.
"'You don't say SOP he replied; and
| the manager busted?'
"'Yes, think so.
"'Was there another fellow there
| with you?'
81 think there was, said, like
blamed fool, not knowing what was
| coming.
You scoundrel, you,' yelled the
old man, that was me! Give me back
my Wallet
"'What walict?'
40. you know well enough. The
! blasted thief that slept with me that
| night stole my wallet and two hundred
dollars in greenbacks. I've been look
| ing for linn now for twenty-five years
l thought l knowed you when you
| come up
lit took some of the hardest talking
| ever did in my life to get rid of him.
| don't want any more Grand Army in
| mine"
Another story was told in the Ore
gon HEADQUARTERS. l. seems that a
couple OF smooth-tongued gentry
fastened on to one of the veterans. and
proposed to 90 out and see the town.
But before starting he excused himself
a minute, and stated on coming back
that he had left his money with a
friend for safe-keeping. and only taken
along a few dollars. They told him it
was all right if he knew where he
could find his friend when he wanted
him. He said he did, and the party
started out. The two confidence-men
spent about ten dollars apiece enter
| tanning the victim, and then proposed
that he look up his friend, get his cash
and play poker.
4 can't get it from him tonight"
said the veteran.
.'Why, / thought you knew where
to find him." protested one Of the
sharps.
80 do" said the veteran, "but it
happens he's the same friend on whose
account I'm wearing this badge. l
mean Uncle Sam. You see, for pre-
caution, put my money in an envel-
ope before / started, addressed it to
myself and dropped it in the letter
box. No, gentlemen, l can't get any
tonight. San fnraciscO Chronicle.