Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-03-02
GREEN GOODS AND sAwDUsT MEN.
Some or Those Who Have Made Big
Fortunes In Their Nefarious
Business.

some OF Ihosc w no have Maue B1s
Fortunes In Their Nefarious
Business.
One OF the things connected with police SUI
peryision OF the rimiual classes I'm New York,
which 10 the mind Of an ordinary citizen is
difficult OF comprehension, saws The Nes
York Graphic, is the success which attends
the operations Of the green goods men In
this eat. The covetness aud hunger for the
acquisition OF wealth by any means, however
disreputable, which characterize some men
here and there la the back country settle
ments will easily account for the influx OF
visitors who come here 10 seek the means by
which they hope TO rob their own ~nelghbors
But no clear explanation has ever been given
as to the reasons why the men who have
grown rich upon the spoils gathered from
these dupes escaped from the penalties OF the
law so long.
They are as well known 10 the detective
force OF the Central Office and TO the various
precinct detectives as the burglars and thieves
who are under almost continual supervision
and from whom are daily drawn the grist that
supplies our state penitentiarles. Occasionally
we read about the arrest Of one Of these
swindlers, but with Sing Sing gaping for them
butN sun llIEtI dilllOsL ulllOltsltu hAOuE Tue
public th~oroughiares.
Half a dozen OF them are rich men, and
have kept on growing richer IN spite Of the
fact that the source from which they draw
their Income and their wealth is as well
known 20 the police as IL Is 20 themselves.
Their faces are not strange ones about the
theaters and semi-fashiouable cafes, anu "a
the stranger they are In all eXternals types OF
the welEto-do men about town.
Take Charley Johnson, for instance. There
may be some eXaggeratiOn about the figures,
but the sporting men who linger on the
border-line that runs between legal aud Illegal
practices Will tell You. with half envy, that
during the past year this man Johnson has
cleared nearly $50, 900 In the business. lie is
a wellbuilt fellow OF about 40, neatly dressed,
finely educated and Is an oifshoot OF an old
New England family, whose name he dropped
long since.
There is Joe Little, who Ia perhaps one OF
the least successful OF the well-known sharps
in the green goods profession. A dapper,
dudish, SNOWY sort OF a fellow, whom the Yeri-
est granger ought 10 be able To recognize as a
gambler and confidence man. Yet he has gone
along successfully nOugh and is credited
with having pocketed fully $50, 600 of other
peoples money during the twelve months that
have Just passed.
this lawless traie. lie is not a specimen Of
manly beauty by any means, stu he would
Npass for a trim, well kept bushes, man of 30,
fhnd the money he has gathered during the
last six years from the credulous pocket
books Of his dupes has made him "A conforta-
bly, rich man. On any br ght sunny afternoon
In these bracing winter DAYS Mr.. Parmley can
be seen swinging gracefully along on Broad
way aud Union square and Thirtieth street,
with the air OF a man wholly at peace with
self aud the world.
But Bsrny Mcguire is the recognized king
OF the green goods men. Years ago he
was faro-deaier I'm Mike Murrays place and
was a watcher for John MOrrissey's game both
here and In Saratoga. No man ever gathered
I'm a stake which be had not fairly won from
the green table while Barney supervised the
game, and no dealer ever lost a winning I'M
der MAguire's Eagle eve. All the gamblers
In New York know him., and the new ones
soon make his acquaintance Many a luckless
card manipulation has been staked by Barney
until luck improved, aud there are few SPORT
ing men better liked by his associates than
this same burly, big listed, rough-looking fell
low, who within the last few years, II half
that Is said be true, has laid aside over $780,
900 from the proceeds Of his illegitimate bust
ness.
There are a dozen others less prominently
known, but all OF them living on the fat OF
the land.
GLOW do they manage TO make this money
and vet escape from the meshes OF the lawi'
aaid the wondering newspaper man 20 kindly
faced John Wilkinson, who is one Of the most
reliable and successful among the managers
OF the big detective agencies in this city.
"Oh, easy enough as the law now stands"
replied Mr.. Wilkinson. you see, the promi-
nent men YOU speak OF are never at the front
I'm any OF these sawdust transactions Each
of them IL the leader OF a gang Of operators,
for the business needs a large force OF en-
ployes. There are the men AT the ferries and
depots to note the coming Of grangers. others
farther up the street ready 10 get the tip from
the watchers, the 'hand-shskers' who claim
the strangers acquaintance, the Office people,
the outside men, and 4 whole host of N inor
rogues who live on this public credulity.
"Of course the small FRY make only their
plckings and stealings, just as In corner poll
tics and elsewhere, but the leaders grow rich
on big and frequent profits"
Cant the business be suppressedln
"Well," answered Mr.. Wilkinson, "as the
law stands now the courts find 1t difficult 10
send a man 10 state prison for this kind OF
swindliug. and the sawdust man who fights
hard is generally certain OF acquittal. And
they oil do fight hard, and have plenty OF
money to fee counsel. The methods OF these
fellows have been exposed time and time
again, but the world is full Of fools who are
willing % believe they can get the best OF
these swindIers. They GO into the attempt
with their ewes open, and il costs them hun
dreds OF dollars TO learn how easily they have
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