The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-05-25

Il 49, ~-"~*< - %&<*%W a44mW&W#4 Wuu IMMI
900 will In every probability win g.
900 In good money. The stranger ac-
cepts or hesitatex Generally he has
only 500 or $500 about his person.
The bunco man comes 10 his help. He
will take half risk and divide tho
profits The interest II bought. the
drawing occurs. and the selection wins
nothing or a small sum. But II al
ways comes within an ace 81 hitting
the capital prize. At this point the
victim "sours." TO use . slang phrase.
and often "squeals." to use another.
Sometimes his credulity Is so great
that he ntinues playing until bank
rupt II. when he percives that he Is
being robbed. he shows the white
feather. he il either beaten or scared
into silent and hasty flight In any
case the victim is quickly disposed Of.
peaceabIy II possible. forcibly II need
full.
It Is opposed to the etiquette Of
bunco 70 rob . man by force. 1t Is al
20 much more severely punished by
the law. An action Of this sort cost
Hungry Joe his liberty and his prestige
:, INC n's' operator IN inc ianu.
"' ,n'shuea victim iooiisn'y us
p'"y'a arr so'i = o'iis - M manu-
!. 70 Joe and his partners after having
refused 10 venture = penny upon any
scheme. Joe, hungricr than usual,
s"A'eneu ING money anu ran away
committing robbery instead o. s"ina-
ing NC ma" contemplated
/ announcer odd feature OF the art y the
aversion o. the bunco man to remain
long In the same place. either 1.-THE o.
nee where ne does business, or the
house or rooms where ne resides II
Is mol from Tear OF the police rs all or
nearly all the worthless are known by
lace name ana record to the force
so constant are the changes that It
wouid require . large volume 20 keep
tneir record ~ might De supposed
tnat tne ponce would nave dimcuity IN
aPprenenuing one u case ne were
wanted ior some onensc- Inc very
opposite. however. Is the fact They
are gregarious In their habits. more
like wolves than bears Nearly every
one knows Of the whereabouts Of the
rest, and being aware Of the difficulty
Of conviction for buncoing has no hes
itation in giving information As to q
friend or pal. A second mode Of plac-
ing them arises from their conviviaI
and social habits. They are debarred
from good hotels and decent bar-rooms
on the one side and on the other will
not patronize low saloons and cheap
groggeries- They. therefore, frequent
those sporting houses where man ;
character has neither value nor mean
| ing. and where their company. on ac-
count Of their extravaganza and folly.
is warmly welcomed These establish
ments are not many in number and
are all familiar to the police
| A third method VI locating them Is
based on their singular addiction to
the opium habit. They are the best
customers TO the opium joints. and
since these were prohibited by law. Of
the private op um clubs which are scat
tered throughout the city. OF the
1--WE or six hundred affairs Of this class
IL i fair 70 assume that two-thirds are
made up Of crooks II Is also fair TO
assume that three-fourths Of all the
bunco men are vic Tins Of the habit
To the question that Is 50 often put
to the police: ''Why don't you sup
press bunco and arrest all bunco
menY The only answer il the ques-
ton: .How can you do it?' They
are never disorderly in their conduct.
their victims seldom complain. and
when they do complain usually fail
through excitement to identify the
swindler When an cd provision Of
law II called into play. and
they are arrested IS Migrants.
Lie certainly Il ridiculous 70 ac-
cuse . man Of being without visi-
bic means Of support who Is the best
dressed man in the courtroom. and
who almost invariably has more money
and more jewelry about his person
than the judge or district attorney.
Inc true remedy would % statute