The Dickinson press., 1891-02-21
SWINDLED THE TAILOR
A KNIGHT OF THE GOOSE TELLS
OF HOW HE WAS TRlcKED.

OF HOW HE WAS TRIckED.
A Reporter Gave Him the Simple Beat.
A Counterfeiter Exchanged Products
with Him-The C%ontortionist Played
the Slickest Trick of All.
well, I've been in business a good
many years." said a fashionable tailor,
land I've met some very queer customers
in the course of my experience. Have
ever been beaten? Why, of course l have.
Every man in my business is bound to
meet with men who swindle him in n
way or another. 1 don't think, however,
l have lost a great deal of money in late
years. Before l set up in business for
myself l represented a large house in an
other city. Icame here and made quito
a trade among the clerks in the depart
ments. l used to call upon them in their
Offices with my book of samples, and as
I'm q pretty fair talker l managed toget
q good many orders. l used to give them
credit, and l will say one thing for the
public department clerks, is that
lost very little money by them. | used
to have to wait IL good while sometimes,
but they generally paid me in full.
TWO SIMPLE CASES.
But you want to know about the
beats Well, one Of the worst 1 ever
knew was u fellow who was here for
som time as IL newspaper man. He was
ON a local paper, and it was after had
gone into business for myself that l met
him. He came into my store one day
with two or three we'll known business
young men whose trade l had possessed
for a long time. One of the party, a
banker, ordered a $50 suit, and l meas
ured him while the others chaffcd him
and examined my stock. About n hour
afterward this newspaper man returned
and said that no would like HE to make
a suit for him of the same goods selected
by his friend. | presumed he was all
right, took his measure, made tho suit,
sent it to his address and waited for
him to come and settle. But he never
did, and in ashort time he skipped out of
town. That was a dead loss to me.
THAT wasn't as bad, however, as a
trick that was subsequently played upon
me. Atall, fine looking gentleman came
in one day, and after looking over my
stock selected n piece of the most eNren-
sivc goods and ordered IL suit to be made
from it. He wanted tho suit finished in
three days. as he was going to leave the
city. He was on his way south, he said,
and had already spent more time than
he had intended. He Was very polite
and appeared to bea man of means. l1e
was also particular as to the cut and
style of the coat and vest, insisting upon
a collar to the latter. although the style
was without one. Well, [ put off some
other work and completed his suit with
in the time agreed upon, and sent it to
his hotel about dusk with the bill-$S0.
The man brought back the money, four
$50 bills, and | put this in the safe and
went home. The next day when | sent
my deposit to tho bank those four $50
bills were returned marked counterfeit
Well, perhaps | wasn't mad. | sent
down to the hotel. but of course the man
had gone. placed the matter in the
hands of the detectives, but they failed
to find the swindler. Many years after
ward / saw his picture in Il rogucs' gal
lery, and learned that he was one of the
most expert counterfciters i'll the oun
try. | think he is now in Il western pen
itentiary, but it was a long time before
the government officers captured and
convicted him.
A QUESTION OF EXPANSION.
Zone of tho funniest swindles ever
played upon me was by Il. government
clerk, who was brought to Inc by tht
chief of his division, for whom l hai
made clothes for years. measured the
man myself, and was particularly care
full about the shoulders and chest, as
pride myself upon the fit of my coats.
sent the suit to his boarding house OF
Saturday night, and the next Monday
morning, bright and early, he was dow
to the store very much enragel because
the coat and vest didn't fit him. HI
said the trousers We're all right, but the
coat and vest We're altogether too small
l sent up for the garments and com
pared their measurements with those
had marked on the books and found tina
they correspondent exactly; so l wrote
note asking him to call in after his of
fee was out in the evening. He did SO
and l asked him to try on the coat IN,
vest. He went into the back part Of tn
store, and when he came forward wit
the garments on they would not meet b.
at least three inches. 1 was nonplussed
was certain that l had made the correc
measurements, but there was the mar
and the coat and vest evidently didn'
fit. l offered to make him others, bu
he was mad and wouldn't have it. H
paid me for the trousers and was goin
to leave the coat and vest on my hands.
"Just as he was going out of the doc
he turned and said he was sorry that L
made such a blunder, for he liked til
goods. He added in a reflective sort {
way that he might split up the bac
of the vest and set a piece in so that
could button that, but that the co;
would always have to stay open. Fina
ly he said he'd give me $50 for the ga
ments, the price Of which was 1876.
told him l would prefer to make him
new coat and vest, but he wouldn't hay
it, and finally, rather than run tt
risk of not getting rid Of the carmen
at all l let him have them for $50. Abo1
week after l saw him at the theat
with the coat buttoned over his chest
it was a Prince Albert-and fitting Iii
beautifully. l couldn't understand
until ! was told that he had former
been a contortionist, and had the pow
to throw out his chest far beyond
normal size. He had just beaten 1
out of $15. l didn't make any mo
clothes for him, but 1 heard that
beat another tailor in the same way
Washington Star.
''Whilo You Watt"
Enterprise can hardly 80 further tn
this effort OF an uptown grocer: Sire
onr~ ro,,r fro,, tho ho, D;,o1,,n@