The record-union., 1891-03-09

to be made from it. He wanted the suit
finished in three days, as he was going to
leave the city. He was on his way South,
he'said, and had already spent more time
in Washington than he had intended. He
was very polite and appeared to be man
the cut and style of the coat and vest, in
sisting upon collar to the latter,
although the style then was with
out one. Well, [ put off some
other work and completed his suit
within the time agreed upon, and sent it
to his room about dusk with tho bill
$50. The man brought back the money.
safe and went home. The next day,
when | sent my deposit to the bank,
those four 800 bills We're returned
market counterfeit Well, perhaps I
wasn't mad. l sent down to the hotel, but
of course the man had gone. ] placed the
matter in the detectives hands, but they
failed to find the swindler. Many years
afterward l saw his picture in rogues'
gallery, and learned that he was one of
the most expert counterfeiters in the
country. l think he is now in Western
penitentiary, but it was a long time be-
fore the Government officers captured
and convicted him.
Zone of the funniest swindles eyer
played upon me was by a Government
clerk, who was brought to mo by the
chief OF his division, for whom / had
made clothes FOR years. | measured the
man myself, and was particularly careful
about the shoulders and chest, as pride
myself upon .he fit OF my coats. | sent
the suit to his boarding-house on Satur-
day night, and the next Monday morn
ing bright and early, he was down to the
store, very much elraged because the
coat and vest didn't fit him. He
said the trousers were all right.
! but the coat and vest were al
| together too small. 1 sent up
| for the garments and compared their
/ measurements with these I had mark ed
on the books, and found that they cor
responded exactly; so wrote a note,
asking him TO call in after his Office was
| out in the evening. He did so, and
| asked him to try on the coat and vest.
| He went into the back part of the store,
and when he came forward with the gar
ments on they would not meet by at least
! three inches. / was nonpluSsed. | was
certain that I had made correct measure
nents, but there was the man, and the
coat and vest evidently didn't fit him.
! | offered to make him others, but he
was mad and wouldn't have it. He paid
me for the trousers and was going to
leave the coat and vest on my hands.
Just as he was, going out the door he
turned and said he was sorry that Pd
made such a blunder, for he liked the
goods. He added in reflective sort of a
way that he might split up the back of
the Vest and set a piece in so that he could
button that, but that the coat would al
ways have TO stay open. Finally he said
| he'd give me $40 for the gar
ments, the price for which was S35.
told him 1 would prefer to
make him new coat and vest,
but he wouldn't have it, and finally.
rather than to run risk of not getting rid
of the garments at all. let him have
them for $40. About q week afterward 1
saw him at the theater with the coat but
toned over his. chest-it Was a Prince
Albert, and fitted him beautifully. /
couldn't understand it until I was told
that he had formerly been contortionist
and had power to throw out his chest far
! beyond its normal size. lie had Just
beaten me out of SIS. / didn't make any
more clothes for him, but heard that he
beat another tailor in the same way"