The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-29
BUNCo MEN ARE IDLE.
Like Hungry Car1ibels, They Are De-
vouring One Another.


From The Near York World
The inelegant proverbial philosophy Of
the buaco-steerer has it that "a sucker is
born every minute" This in polite and
more presentabIe English would mean that
as fast as one victim is despoiled another is
ready TO take his place; that the experience
Of one is no warning TO the next, and that
the stream of golden grist ground out by
the industry OF sharp-witted rogues Is in
creasing.
1t must be admitted, even by the most
suave and sanguine chevalier, that business
just at this time in the city of New York IS
dull, horribly, lamentably, uuaccOuutaoly
dull. It isn't because Hungry Joe Is in
prison; that ought TO make business better,
because ice was 50 awfully and constantly
hu cry that he left very little for others 70
puck, once he had sta ted on the financial
feathers Of fat goose. 1t cannot be argued
that the police are more than extraordIua-
rily active, for there are more hand
shakers" on Park Row now than for many
day. Some other hypothesis must be ad-
vanced for the lack Of victims and the
consequent classifying of a time-worn
proverb.
The fact of the matter is that the bunco
men of New Y ork are like a lot of South Sea
canlbals They are living on each other,
and the devOur.ng is going on at such a rate
that it must eventually result in the same
disaster that befel the crew of the Nancy
brig. They must live, and to live they must
have money, and no bunco-steerer with any
regard for his reputation would think of
securing money by any other means than
bis regular vocation. Thus it has come to
be case of dog eat dog" and that is Why
Harry Ashton alias Diamond Harry, p"
has no hesitancy in stacking up" against
his old friend Billy Gibson, alias William
g. Chester, alias Beer aud Beans" Never
were two men more closely associated never
had there been a fairer division of spoils
than between this particular pair. but as the
starving bo'sin was obliged for self preser-
walton 10 eat the mate aud the mate to make
meal Of the cook sn1 the crew, and all these
to be swallowed by the elderly naval man,
so it happens that Harry has been compelled
to eat Oft somebody else's head than his own,
and he has done it without pepper salt or
vinegar.
Gibson thought be saw soft mark" as
a gulhble victim is called, few weeks ago
at the Cortlandt street ferry. He was then
working with Harry" as handshaker, or
Ia other words, the man who learns the real
name and address Of a victim. 1t so hap
pened that a genuine old mossback from
Fayette county, Pa, had reached town for
the first time in his life. He had never seen
"Y ork" before and MS ideas of the metrop-
oils we're about as tangled as his patriarchal
beard. Nothing quite so easy had landed at
the foot of Cortlandt street in many moons,
and the ease with which the confiding
strangers name and the size of his wad were
obtained sent joy TO the hearts Of the gen
tlemen in the neighborhood of the entrance
to the spiders web.
Gosh darn it," said Hayseed, 81 knew
your uncle In Uniontown for years. Re
member the killing of Bill Dukes by young
Nut Course l do. Shake, old pards.
Right glad to see you unsn
1t was such an awfully easy Job that the
handshaker thought he hadn't had half a
chance to show his best work. Nevertheless
he made the steer" into a West street
rendezvous, and the net result of the visit
was something like $500, secured by the
tottering, bewhiskered trick of exhibiting
$50, 900 worth of pictures to the victim and
borrowing $500 from him to pay the duty
exacted by the tariff barons OF free re-
public.
Pretty good graft" remarked Gibson,
after the sucker" had been satisfactorily
disposed of and bewildered as to his where
abouts. pretty good graft. Don't know
VII at I'd done if something hadn't shown
up pretty soon;
Eyes" said Harry, but unfortunately it
WdSub 6uOugH. i noeQ q thousand lust
now to see me through"
WELL" was the reply, ''that leaves YOU
$3.50 to make up. Maybe we can hit 1t to-
morrow.
You are mistaken" answered Harry.
without turning hair. at leaves $70O for
me to make up"
AS near as can figure it," was Gibson's
response, 'one-half of $500 Is $3.50. That
Is $3.50 short of a thou isn't it ?"
En1 a.. ~.
same imperturbable countenance, "but
you're not in this, Sea-"
Gibson almost tainted. mot in 1t I" be
howled. mot in it Z Why, you are crazy.
Where did you get your absinthe 2"
Mr. Gibson" remarked Harry, still per-
reotly calm, II regret to say that circum-
stances over which have no control pre-
vent me from recognizing any claim which
you may make upon me- Another thing. I
dispute its justice"
With this remark Mr. Ashton mounted a
Belt Line car and was soon lost to view in
the northern haze of West street. His com
panion was suffering from such a complete
paralysis of the understanding that he re-
manned glued to the beer keg on which he
had sunk at the first indication Of treachery.
This Is sample case of the depths of
degradation and tie total lack Of honor to
which the average bunco man of New York
has fallen.
1t was only in the early spring that
dutch Hen," who has been one Of the
crack men among the handshakers Of Park
Row, was obliged. ia order to get the price
of supper aud bed, to put up Job with
Harry Desmond, alias Cigarette Harry"
to obtain $50 or less from Easy Archie
gentleman who is known to the police as
Archie JACKSON and Archie Robertson. It
was represented to him that for the sum Of
$50 rendezvous could be fitted up, which
by the elegance Of its appointments could be
depended upon to bring in some very tender
birds. So graphically was the scheme por.
trayed that Archie worked around for half
day among acquaintance engaged in his
own particular line and managed to raise
just $42 Desmond was to meet Dutch Hen"
at Ann street and Park Row at o'clock the
same night, but he failed to keep the ap-
pointment. Next morning he was discov-
cred by accident at the foot of Liberty
street, stu ying human nature as it came
from the ferry-boat.
Got it 2" asked Hen, after inQuring why
the appointment had not been kept.
NAV" said Desmond. He hadn't a
sou markee. Maybe he will plant something
tomorrow"
No suspicion of Mr.. Desmond's word was
entertained, but that same evening When
Dutch Hen met EASY Archie" the latter
made a sharp interro gstion as to when the
'lOlntn was to be started