Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-06
"SAWDUST" IN NEW YORK CITY
How the "Green Goods Game Is
Worked-Its Profits.
AN ARIZONA MAN MYsTIFlEo.
Lying i'm Wait For Victims-Thc
Modus Operandi-Onc Man Saved
by q Detective-A Sample
Experience. t,...

Louis Globe-Democrat: "lf | lost my
present position" said q New York
police detective to the writer few
days ago, "T would 60 into the sawdust
business. There's more money in 1t
and less risks than any similar occupa-
tion."
The first part was spoken in jest, but
there was deal of truth in it. The
four best known "green goods men in
in the past two years. They are Barney
Mcclure, 10 Little, Charley Johnson
and Charles Parmerly. Each is the
leader OF n "gang," for the business re-
quires large force of employees. The
minor rogues make only their wages
with pickings and stealings. just as in
politics and elsewhere, but the leaders
grow rich on large and frequent profits.
There is the best authority for saying
that McGuire's gains during the past
two years have not been less than
$3.50, 900. The others have not earned
so much. say $4,000 for Parmerly,
$40, 900 for Johnson and s50,OOO for Lit
tie. Altogether it is a profitable busi-
ness and bids fair to be permanent and
safe. The laws do not cover
the offense, so that the sawdust
man who fights hard can almost always
secure an acquittal. Many of those con-
victed have foolishly pie lded guilty when
there was not the least need of it. The
methods of these men have been eX-
posed without number, but the victims
continue to pour in. Newspaper arti-
cles on the subject though they state
the facts in the clearest terms. are only
advertisements for the business, and are
so regarded by the sawdust men. When
an expose comes to the hands of a man
who is thinking of purchasing green
goods" he simply sneers at the idea
that he can be caught in such net.
and at once natures plan to get the
best of the swindlers. 1t costs him from
$3.50 to 81 800 to find out that his plan is
not reliable.
SAMPLE EXPERIENCE.
Your correspondent was standing in
the Pennsylvania ferry house, foot of
Courtland street, early in the afternoon,
just as the passengers of n through train
landed in this city. Among them was
a man whose appearance was so pecu-
liar that attention was attracted to him
at once. He was over six feet in height,
slender built. and clothed in rather un-
couth garments, the most conspicuous
of which was very long frock coat of
military pattern, and OF the color
known in the south as ''butternut. y
He wore round topped hat with u
broad brim, His hair was long. and
hung down upon his shoulders. He had
n sandy mustache, and he carried va
lse. He was delightfully."- "fresh'' sub
ject
Two men, standing together in such a
position as to be somewhat withdrawn
from general observation, were watch
ing the new arrival sharply though
warily. AS was afterwards learned, they
were jim johnson and bat" Sweeney,
known to the profession as 'steerers.
The intelligent reader may be coming
to New York any day to buy green goods,
and very likely will meet one Of these
men, so it will do no harm to tell how
they look. johnson is a dark man,
feet inches in height, of medium build.
and is As years old. He has curly hair
and a dark mustache. He will be found
wearing dark suit and black derby
hat. His cOuntenancc is not an evil one,
though his eye is somewhat furtive.
Mr.. Sweeney will greet the visitor
clothed in a suit very similar to that of
Mr.. Johnson, for such garments are not
likely to attract attention. He is 2S
years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall, of slender
build and light complexion. He is at
present wearing sandy mustache.
NYSTIFYING THE STRANGER.
These two gentlemen watched the
stranger from the country. When the
visitor left the ferry house he was fol-
lowed at respectful distance by
V.l,., 80,
tied the question in the writer's mind,
and he joined the procession. After
some delay we reached hotel on
Broadway. Sweeney and Johnson then
withdrew. The stranger registered at
once and went to his room. Shortly
thereafter he received a call from a
gentleman named Brady. Mr.. Brady
is five feet nine inches tall, with light
complexion and sandy mustache. He
has IA fine physique, and weighs about
one hundred and eighty pounds. Green
goods buyers will take care not to af-
front Mr.. Brady, for he is slugger.
After brief interview the unfortunate
| and Brady came down stairs, and passed
out upon the street, the latter follow
ing some twenty PAGES behind the
former. In this way they walked ur
| Broadway a block, then crossed to the
bOWtTN anu pNotctucu uoN illul
| thoroughfare. While wondering what
| he should do to save the cOun-
tryman from his impending fate, youl
| correspondent ran against Mr.. l.. A
| Newcombe formerly postoffice inspector
and now senior partner of Newcombe &
| Travers' detective agency. He had
come up side street in time to sec
| Brady and the innocent go by, and wa'
| looking down the street after them will
an amused smile.
"Here's grand steal going on sait
he. Come along, and We'll see il thi
| gentleman pointing to Brady connects
with the cOuntryman."
We accordingly followed the men
They turned into Broome street, ant
shortly afterwards Brady joined tn,
stranger, and they proceeded shor
distance in company, when they again
separated.
"All this rigmarole," said Newcombc
sis simply to confuse and terrify the vic
tim. There's no need in the world o
trailing this man through the street an,
leaving him shivering on corners. Iii
done to get him in a state OF mind suit
able to the game about to be played o.
him. After a man has lodged imagin
ary detectives and gone through tn
mystery business for an hour or two h
isn't in condition to know whether he
being cheated or not. This man is evi