Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-06-07
THE "BUNCO" MAN.
Captain Williams on the Methods
Of Glib Rascal
Origin OF the Term-The CommOnest
Form of Observation-Disclosures
In the Way of Suppress.
ing the Evil

1t is hard to say where the word
"bunco" was born. 1t comes. if not
from the gutter. at least from an ORR
gin of not better, if even of as moral,
a character. Its first appearance, to
the best of my knowledge, was in the
early part of the '7Os, when it was
added to the list of such sporting
words. SO called, as faro. keno, Lotto
and the like. At the outset it was the
equivalent of confidence operation"
but after brief while it became limited
to express those transactions in which
a swindler secures money or valuables
from a victim who willingly parts with
his property in the hope Of securing a
pretended reward of ludicrously enor-
nous proportions.
The success of the first "steerer"
and ''hand-shaker" upon the ignorant
and credulous brought imitators into
the business. These tried their hands
upon men whom the original workers
would never have approached, and
found. to their surprise, that educa-
ton and knowledge of the world did
not protect their possessors. They con-
tinued in their experimenting until.
having buncoed Charles Francis
Adams. the late Commodore Garrison,
Oscar Wilde, the distinguished apostle
of aesthetic culture. and other men of
prominence in various fields, they
concluded that every man was capa-
BILE of being robbed in this manner,
provided, of course, that the right ope-
rator and right mode of attack were
employed.
Nearly all the famous bunco men are
well-dressed. mild-mannered. quiet
speaking and companionable fellows.
Many of them would be ornaments to a
parlor. and most would be popular and
thriving business men if their talents
We're honestly and properly applied.
Like every other art, the bunco of
to-day has innumerable variations.
The commonest form that comes 10
the notice of the police is as follows:
Mr.. Smith. well-to-do-farmer or
tradesman, comes to New York from
his native town, Smithville. He car
ries with him well-tilled wallet.
which. being distrustful of hotel clerks
and hotel safes. he carries in some in
side pocket. Near the Brooklyn bridge.
the Central Park plaza, Madison or
Union Square he is accosted by a
plcasant-manne cred man. who shakes
his hand violently and says in the
most friendly fashion: Brown. dear
boy. how are you?"
Mr.. Smith draws himself up and re-
plies: you've made mistake. young
man. I'm not Brown. My name il
Smith-Ephraim Smith, of Smithville,
Smith County. Pa"
This is all the and-shaker'' wants
the mans name and address. FREE
quently, in fact generally. these are
not given as short and pat as in the
interview described. Frequently he
half suspects the friendly stranger and
. brief talk is needful to secure the de-
sired Information. When it is given
the accomplish joins the bnnko man.
who is not far away, and who has at
this moment in his hand small ban
ker's directory. which contains list
of all the banks in the Union by States,
the names of their president secre-
.tary. cashier. and sometimes other in
formation. As the accomplicc reaches
the worker he says: Pennsylvania
Smithviile Smith County, and to-
gether they run down the entry. It
usually reads Is follows: