The morning call., 1891-03-28
EXPENSIVE CAKES.
Francisco Portali BambOozled
Out Of $500 in Gold.
Two italian Confidence Men swindie Poul
tryman-"You Go In and Buy the
Cakes and I'll Hold the satchel"

Francisco Portal. the owner of a chicken
ranch on Center and Carolina streets, has
parted with the SUN of $500 in good hard
United States coin, and, judging from all the
circumstances attending the case, the sepa-
ration is likely to be lasting one.
The facts of the severance of the ties that
bound Portali to his gold, or his gold to
Portal. furnish the old, old story of a
credulous, mOney-lovng, ignorant man and
two sharp and clever trickSters.
Describing the steal to the Chief of Police
yesterday morning, Portal said that few
days ago a fellow-countryman called at his
ranch bought some chickens and talked as
smoothly on general topics as a book-can-
vasser. Again and again he came, buying
chickens each time. and finally bringing the
conversation round to real estate invest
mentS.
He professed to have high estimate of
Portalfs judgment on real estate, and fiat
tered him so cleverly that the latter con-
Sented to 60 with him to give his esti-
mate of what certain lot on Larkn street,
near the City Hall. was worth. After valu-
ing the lot Portali and his sol disant friend
went into an adjoining saloon for drink,
where they were quickly joined by Grip
pied, addressed old Italian.
ENTER CONFEDERATE NO. 2.
PortalpS friend No. l treated the new
| conner as beggar, but invited him to drink
with them. The stranger laughed at them
and said he had more money than either
| of them had or ever would have. He was
| Independently wealthy, and IN support of
his statements drew gold and greenbacks
| from every pocket in his clothes.
| He then said that he was disguised with
| California as some one had cheated him out
| of $500, and now all he desired was to re-
| turn TO Italy, and he was looking for some
| honest man to 20 with him as a companion.
| He would pay all expenses, besides salary
| of $3.50 month. Purtal BIZ. at the chance.
1t may be stated here incidentally that
| Portal had casually, quite casually, in
| formed his Italian friend No. on his second
| visit that he had $500 to his credit at the
| French Bank.
After some more drinks. to ratify the bar
! gain between Portal and friend No. 2, the
| proposition was made incidentally again
! that POttali should not leave his money
| here, but should draw it out OF the bank
| and take it with him to Italy, and after
much persuasion the gudgeOn agreed and
| the trio went TO the bank, friend No. 9 buy
ing large leather satchel on the way to hold
the shining twenties.
READY FOR THE DENoUEMENT.
1t was no trick at all to draw the money
| and place it in the satchel, TO which Portali
| hung like mussel to a water front pile.
| Inc three. 1rlenuS walked up Market
street. Portali carrying the precious satchel,
and at Ninth and Mission streets friend
No. became quite sick, but said he would
soon recover. Now that everything was
arranged, il would be a good plan To cele-
brate the departure for Italy by an im-
| prUmptu banquet at the Portal ranch.
Would Portal mind going into bakery
and buying some cakes, and his other friend
would 20 into lquor-st0re and buy some
wine? Friend No. would, in the mean
time, stay outside and hold POrtal's satchel.
Thus spoke friend No. 2. Portal wouldn't
mind and didn't. He went into the bakery,
leaving his satchel with friend No. 2 out
| Side.
When he came out with the cakes, friend
No. and the satchel containing the $500
were largely and most conspicuously MISS
ing. So was friend No l. Portali searched
high and low for the missing men and the
satchel, but, needless to say, did not find
them. He then reported his loss to the
| police, and number of detectives were at
once detailed on the case.
About seven years ago gang of Doodle
ringers operated quite extensively. but half
a dozen of them were arrested by Captain
| Lees and his detectives, who in three in
stances recovered large sums of money
which had been stolen.