Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-17

| ""s'b ma ioneiy spot neat vi
roadside, the leader Of our party takinI
from the inside pocket Of his vest kid
glove, and after looking at il with o.
expression Of tenderness carefully re
placed 1t with the remark " Boys
there's not enough money on God
green earth to buy that"
Are professional thieves generall
intelligent"
"They are intelligent enough, bu
lack the advantages Of education. 4
forger is generally looked upon as
well-educated man, but he is simply
good penman, and like a card-writer i
fit for nothing else. Bunko-men ar
very illiterate, from John Norton, nov
dead, the prince Of bunko-steerers. AM
who swindled Charles Francis Adams
down to your local celebrities in tina
line"
To what do you attribute their sue
cess?"
"They have great powers Of obserya
ton, any amount Of gift CAB and cheek
They are the most industrious workers
Of all crooked people, and arc always OF
the lookout for sucker. The protec
ton these people receive from thu
officials Of our larger cities is wonderful
Take New York for instance. In con
sideration Of a certain amount paid
weekly to the captain of the police il
the district in which he plies his voca
ton the buDko-steerer is permitted to
do about what he pleases."
"ln what way is he protected, and
what is the usual amount paid?"
well, say am the bunko sharp
and want to open joint. If | an
known to the captain Of the district in
which | intend operating | arrange
with him personally or with some one
who is known to him. | agree to pay
him ESQ per week, which is about the
usual price, and he agrees to let me
run, with the understanding that my
steerers and myself are to confne our
operations to his district alone. Nor
will he permit other bunko-men to in
fringe upon our territory. Suppose a
sucker is steered against my game,
and drops say $500, and informs
the first policeman he meets that he
has been swindled. lie is immedi-
ately directed to the station. I am
warned at once, and shut up shop for a
day or so. Should he remember
where ! am located, raid is made on
my place during my absence, only to
discover few chairs, tables, &c. The
officers profess to be puzzled, sympa-
thiZe with the stranger, for he is al
ways one, and take his address. That
is the last of it. But for all this
kindness on the part of the officials |
must give up one half of the $500
the sucker dropped. Had there
been 10 squeal would not
have had to give up anything.
Englishmen are the best suckers
and the worst squealers. If you
can manage to get one into joint and
induce him to make one bet. which he
will lose, his natural bull-headedness
will force him to continue betting until
he is broke. During last winter John
Norton and Snapper John could be
seen on one side Of Broadway, in New
York city, while Red Wilson and
Paddy the Horse could be seen on
the other side, looking for suckers.
Neither would venture across the street,
as Broadway was the dividing line be-
tween their respective districts. 0cca-
sionally they could be seen together in
City-llall Park, but, then, that was
considered neutral ground"
Are not crooked people generally
superstitious ?"
1.-THE more ignorant class are par
ticularly so. They are to great ex-
tent influenced by dreams. | remem-
Der one night that four of US were on
our way to do job, and when within
q block of the place we intended enter
ing the cleverest man Of the whole
party refused to proceed further, all on
account Of a black cat crossing our
path. We ridiculed the idea, but could
not induce him to accompany us, his
excuse being that the same thing had
happened to him several years before, in
which he was caught, convicted, and
served term. We attempted to do the
Job without his aid, and, singular to re-
late, were almost captured"