Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-24
CRIMINAL ITEMS.
Operations Of Sharpers At
the Beach.
A CASE OF GRAND LARCENY.
Other News Of an Interesting
Nature Which Was Gathered
On the Streets.

There was the usual flood OF excur-
sionists to Santa Monica yesterday and
the extra accommodations of the South
ern Pacific stood in good stead. Visitors
to the city by the sea would do we'll to
keep close guard on their pocket books,
for a gang of confidence sharps are
carrying on their operations and have
roped in many unsuspecting individuals
already. A HERALD man intervie we'd
one of these transactions yesterday and
for the benefit of the uninitiated the
account OF how the fake was worked is
here given. An individual attired in q
suit OF black, which by its many creases
betokened that it was only called out for
Sunday wear sat on the platform outside
the bathhouse to the west of the pier
He was ore of those sort of persons who
could be relied on to have little money
about him, for although his white shirt
was collarless yet across his vest was
stretched gold watchchain of massive
proportions, and as he raised cigar to
his lips an enormous cameo ring glist-
ened in the rays of the snn. He sat
grimly watching the gaiety around and
turned his head as a voice remarked in
his ear, "Quite lot of people down
here to-day" The speaker was
a well-known man who, in
light suit of clothes and pair of
vanished boots looked like well-to-do
man about town, and he followed up his
Introductory by asking for light for q
cigarette that he held between his
fingers. A conversation sprang up be.
tween the two which eliminated in their
strolling together down the beach. They
assembled the 800 steps" and then went
across town and disappeared in one of
the we'll known sporting saloons. The
HERALD man, who had been "put on"
by friend on the sands, was in pursuit,
and entered the building moment later.
just as the two were going into a small
antechamber leading Off the bar-room.
Within this was fashily dressed in
dividual who had before him small box
in which were number of envelopes.
"All you have to- do is to watch where /
put this No. II" he was saying, "and
then if you can remember the spot
minute afterwards you can pull it
out and win all the money
you like" The pouches were opened at
the end and as be spoke he ha pulled
out card on which two strokes making
II were plainly visible. This he replaced
carelessly among the other packages and
after minute or two's ovation he said,
"Now, I'll bet anyone $40 thev can't tell
me where put that envelope"
"I'll go you," said a countrifed look
ing stranger who had entered in the
meantime and producing a well-filled
pocketbook he extracted $40 note from
large roll of bills. Then stretching his
hand forward he extracted the pouch
next to the one that the manipulation of
the envelopes had placed there, in spite
of warning knock from the black. at
tired individual who had strolled up
from the beach. The gentleman
behind the box opened it and
the figure 8 was exposed, upon which
the dealer remarked "You took the
wrong one, sir, guess the others near
by, though" He had left the next
pouch sticking out, the two ends of the
l being plainly visible and when he
asked somebody else to let the man in,
Mack, who thought he had sure thing,
hastily produced $40 and laid his hand
on the envelope. "Open it," said the
fakir, and the smile faded from the
suckers face as when the full card was
exposed to view the figure II was seen,
the upper part with the angle on it hav-
ing been concealed. He left the room
hastily, realizing that he had been sold,
and the confidence man who had steered
him up from the beach expressed his re-
grets as the two parted at the door
outside.