Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-21

get arrested their tracks cannot be shown to
have been outside the pale of law. In covering
up their tracks these clever scoundrels often
secure paper writings of some sort from their
victims which would in event of subsequent
prosecution rob the case of any criminal
aspect.
"A ma jority of this class of criminals rope in
victims through advertisements inserted in
newspapers, which are generally answered by
some widow or other entcrprising female who
has few hundred dollars which she would
like to make thousands OF. The advertise
ments generally rcsortcd to by the more sue
cessful ones call for business partner with a
small amount of cash. several hundred dollars,
to invest. and If he is hard pushed for wealth
he Is not particular about the amount. few
dollars or something that will sell for few
dollars will satisfy him. A good operator,
however, seldom works game for less than
$500 or 1900, and sometimes he gets a great
deal more.
SEEKING FEMALE VICTIMS.
Some men upon reaching city will adver-
tise for wife and the 'want-to- be-wife' must
have some earthly possessions other than her
self. OF course the man has no real intention
OF becoming the womans husband Those who
respond to such advertisements arc in most
cases single women. Now and then a widow
tries her luck but as a rule she does not part
with her money readily as an old maid
The widows greater experience with men
serves her IN good stead. Meetings in parks
and about street corners or at the post office
Is the usual commencement, and the dignified
gentleman OF course could not think of such n
thing az marrying until after courtship of sew
eral weeks at least. 1t is during this several
weeks that the con man gets in his clever
work Correspondence passes between them and
he is sure to write one letter that will bring the
necessary reply. one that will clear his trans
actions of anything that would tend to make
=
this time that he tells the fair one of his val
liable business interests, which with only
few hundred dollars more can be made to
yield fortune. Visions of brown-stone
houses. fine horses. servants, &C.. and a good
looking husband fill the mind OF the unsus-
pectlng female and while in this frame OF
mind she parts with her long-saved earnings
If the man gets all she has he of course skips,
but If not his courtship Is prolonged until he
either gets more money or the fair one ex-
hiblts dissatisfaction. which leads him to
believe that the police will be called In
when the con man sometimes suddenly
disappears the woman naturally feels humil-
lated and 1t is a serious question with her
whether she will tell what has occurred or not
While she Is anxious to recover the money she
also breads making her affairs public and the
result Is that i'll most instances complaint is
not made until after the man has got out of
reach.
MAKING STUDY OF IT.
''There are confidence men," continued the
detective, "who give as much study TO their
business as any man engaged in legitimate
transactions. For instance, two of them will
travel together and will have directory of the
principal business men i'll many Of the larger
cities. When they reach city they visit the
principal hotels and pick out their mark
Then they acquaint themselves with the names
of the merchants in his city and the locations
of their places of business. Before doing this.
however, they rent suite of elegant parlors,
so as to have place TO take their victim to-
All the preliminary arrangements having been
made the mark is met in the hotel corridor or
some other convenient place.
why, how do you do is the greeting of
one Of the con. men, but the citizen in as
constituent says i guess you have the wrong
man
'.Oh. no; believe you are Mr.. - and you
are from -.
"'les that is correct
why says the blackleg, Il was introduced
to you by Mr.. - of your city
by and by the victim really believes the man
Is telling what is so and he goes off with him.
when the room is reached the men tell
how they have just cashed lottery ticket or
got fortune in some other wav Scattered
about on the table is the doodle done up In
stacks. Probably game is proposed, or some
betting done, until the victim is penniless and
then he discovers for the first time that he has
been duped.
Confidence men, as rule, try to take trick
as near train time as possible and disappear as
soon as they have made hit.
AN EASILY WORKED GAME.
"A few years ago." continued the detective.
"a man from Vestibula Ohio, was victimized in
this city by two confidence men through one
OF the commonest and yet one of their best
and Potomac depot half an hour or more be-
fore the time for the departure Of d train he
was to take. He was seated in the waiting
room when he was accosted by handsome
young man, neatly dressed and wearing a
blonde mustache. The man from Ohio was
alone, and after conversing for awhile and
learning that his good-looking acquaintance
was from the same place where he lived he was
delighted to know that he would have COM
pany on the train. But the newly made ac-
quaintance had his wife and sister at hotel
and the ladies, he thought, would make the
trip more pleasant. The stranger invited the
Ohio man to 60 with him to the hotel where
he would give him an introduction to the la
dies He wanted him to accompany them to
the depot and wait till he arrived, as he had to
settle bill with merchant. The Ohio man
took il all in and they started toward so1ae ho-
tel. When they reached the corner of Penn
sylvania avenue the confidence mans pal or
confederate, came along to play the part Of the
merchant.
THE INEVITABLE CHECK.
"Why, here comes the merchant now,' said
the slick young confidence man. The 'mer-
chant presented bill for S24O, but was I'M
able to cash a check for $500. 1t was after
banking hours and they did not know what to
do, but the merchant suggested that his Gus
toners friend might loan him the money until
&c could get the check cashed.
Certainly said the Ohio man, and down
something was then said about the ladies and
the old man who played the role of merchant
said that he had just seen them going to the
depot. The younger of the confidence men
said he would step in store and make out o
receipt, and suggested to his Ohio friend that
he might go over to the depot and wait with
the ladies, giving him q description Of them,
until he came. He gave him the check for
$500 to hold as security
'The Ohio man went to the depot, but no
women such as described came along. He
waited and waited, and finally the train pulled
out Then he questioned the ticket agent, and
was sent by him to police headquarters.
Knowing the men would take the first train
Omcer Quinlan and myself went to the Balti-
more and Ohio depot. The thrse-minute bell
had been rung, but we hastened on the train
and spied the two men Just as the train was
about to pull out Of the depot The young
man was seated In one end of car pretending
he was asleep, while the old man was on an
other seat IN the other end OF the car. Placing
tnem under arrest We stepped Of the train
vnile " was IN motion, Our prisoners pre-
tended that thoy we're strangers, but after
reaching headquarters IL did not take many