The Dillon tribune., 1886-10-22
The 1ilton Tlibn',e.
A SHREWD SWINDLER.
CROWDS OF VICTIMS MOURN A "FA-
KRIS" ACQUAINTANCE.

CROWDS OF VICTIMS MOURN A "FA.
KRIS" ACQUAINTANCE.
He Gives Them Warning and Then Pro-
ceeds to Gather in Their Cash
Chains and Watches Go or Like Hot
Cakes.
A victim appeared the other afternoon
at the city hall, in q vague searcf; for re-
dress. He related the actions of IL street
"fakir" who succeeded in quilting crowds
and winning dollars by sheer bOldness.
About the middle of last week lively ap-
pearing man stood in buggy, beside a
vapor light, in the square near the post.
Office. A crowd soon collected, The
stranger drew out q sachel aud took from
it quantity Of jewelry. With a smile, he
held up several watch chains, and said,
Gentlemen, want to sell you some jew
elry. Perhaps you II Ink these are gold,
but they are not. They are good thing
to have, but they are not gold. Gentle
men, I will sell you these chains for 81
EACH"
Willie talking he drew forth number
of bills, and folding them lengthwise Sc.
cured them to his vest by passing them
through the buttonholes. The chains
glittered brightly under the tiaring light,
and the man was very jolly, blunt, candid
and straightforward One or two Of the
chains were bought. and in one of them
the stranger tied curious knot. He still
kept up his talking. "You must be
careful or I'll swindle you," he said,
laughingly. This is my business. and
they say it is hard to beat man at his
own tricks. These chains are not gold,
and don't want you to buy them unless
you really wish to do So"
More of the chains were sold, and finally
the stranger asked if some one in the
crowd had not received chain with a
knot in it. The chain was passed up to
him. Whipping 81 bill from IL button
hole, he passed it clcverly into the knot
and tossed the money and chain back to
the owner. Still continuing his peculiar
remarks, at which the crowd laughed, he
sold chain after chain, right and left. In
some of them he tied one knot, in some
two, and in Others three.
Finally he held up beautiful, glitter.
ing hunting case watch. "You fellows
think you're smart" he said. "You think
this is !. gold watch. It isn't This Is not
gold. Neither is it a watch. 1t is a good
thing in its way, but it is no watch. I
beg you not to buy it if you don't want it.
will sell this for S." The crowd laughed
uproarously, for the object in the
fakir's hand was Enthusiastically q fine
looking timepiece. He insisted, however,
that the object was no watch and begged,
with u comical look on his face, that all
who were foolish enough to buy them
would not examine them until they
reached home. In half an hour he sold
III this manner large number Of watches
and chains Finally he exclaimed. "Oh,
believe knOtted some of the chains. You
needn't send them forward, gentlemen.
Those with one knot are for little men,
those with two for medium sized men,
and those with four and five for big men.
Now, gentlemen, said those We're not
watches. Observe me-"
He held one of the watches over his
head, opened the case. and to the aston
ishnent of all, passed his finger COM
pletely through the dial and where the
works should have been. The cases were
Of thin metal, stamped in the proper
form, and the dials were merely paste
board, but the deception was clever. The
chains were worth about 10 cents each.
Lifting his hat politely, the smiling fakir
said, "Good-evening, gentlemen" extin.
guished the light, and drove away. The
fakir then went to Michigan street, nea,
Ontario and held forth for half an hou,
"ith great profit to himself. Then he
went to the west side, near the marke,
house, where he sold more Of his jewclr,
to the amused people. Here he sold his
watches for -, and one of them is said tt
be in the pocket Of a prominent west side
physician. The fakir staid no more thar
half an honr in any one place and prob
ably left the city ut once. The victim
was informed that the humorous seller u
jewelry could not be reached by the law
us he had made no false pretenses. --Cleve
land Leader.