Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-29
BUNCO STEERING.
How a Staid Church Member BIT
and was Caught.


and was Caught.
EDITORS HERALD Having once been
a victim of 'bunco sharps," l have for
some time contemplated the writing of
an article on that subject, and slight
error in your account of the v;ctimizing
of the Hon. Charles Francis Adams
prompts me to write it now. think
you will remember that it was in New
York or Washington, and not in Boston,
that Mr.. Adams was feeced. THE HER
AID was OF mistaken, Mr.. Adams ex-
perience took place in Boston. EDS.
HERALD. l do not remember to have
ever read Of a mans being victimized by
these kind of swindlers at or near his
home or place of business. have no
who yesterday fell into the tolls of Los
Angeles sharpers, would have been as
safe against such temptations in the city
of New York as the most staid business
man of Los Angeles is against
" Postmaster James son." No man l
think, is so thoroughly panoplied in the
battle of life but what there is some
where in his armcr vulnerable point.
Very many. perhaps, never happen to
expose their weak side to the enemy
but not a few, over-confdent in the
strength of their armor, like Achilles
expose their heels and receive fatal
wound. However it may be CLOSED
over, cupidity is an inherent element of
human nature, and it only requires skill
full treatment to cause it to dominate
all others. These "bunco" men are
shrewd judges of human nature, and
know well the conditions most favorable
to the cultivation of mans cupidity.
They have learned that when man is
away from his home and his accustomed
surroundings, with no business to oc-
cupy his mind, is the proper time to "cul-
tivate" him, and they are not lacking in
the skill necessary for rapid development
of that ever-present element, cupidity.
l am man in the prime of life, of fair
average intellectual ability, and have
travelled more or less extensively for
twenty. five years, visiting nearly every
city of any note in the United States. |
am close reader of the newspapers, and
notice nearly every case of confidence
swindling. | am a respected church
member, and l trust am a Christian.
l am considered by those who know me
best as very liberal, and as caring less
for money than the average man. Not
withstanding all this, while visiting New
York few years since, l fell a victim to
this class of sharpers. l was "steered"
into very innocent-looking place, where
my companion purchased some small
article which gave him chance to draw
an envelope from a package of them,
each containing card. On each of these
cards was printed figures representing
sums of money. ranging from twenty-five
cents to $3.50. l at first felt
a contempt for the business,
but as my companion, after the first
draw, was allowed to draw again for fifty
cents, and drew quite a sum, | began to
pay attention. In returning the envel-
opes to box in which he placed them
on edge the manipulation managed to ex-
pose the figures $3.50 in the envelope next
to the end of the box in such manner
that could get glimpse of it. He had
previously returned the envelope to the
box and mixed or shuffied them after
each drawing, but in this shuffling he
took out and showed the card marked
$40, then replaced it near the middle of
the box and offered to let either Of us
draw four times for forty dollars. Here
was the point to which the victim is al
ways brought-the dead-sure thing. 1
knew that the end card was marked $3.50
1 bit, but lost, of course; between the 2
and 5 was period which had not seen.
After paying the money, even before
drew the cards, l realized that
I was being victimized, but it
was too late. l drew the four cards and
found that had won less than So. was
SO thoroughly ashamed of myself that
went out without saying word, and had
L not been very short Of money, would