The Meeker herald., 1892-09-24
SWINDLING BARGAINS.
CONFIDENCE GAMES WITH
DIAMONDS AND PIANOS.
"Sacrifee" Sales At Residences, Pawn
brol.ers and Warrl,ouses--Tho
Buyers Pay Tremend-
ousiy high Fricss.


pianos to victims who are caught by
advertisements proclnim!ng that the
Instruments are for sale mt II sscrliice,
ut II private residence. Various
reasons are stated by the advertiser
for making the alleged sacri &C.
The sharper also works in with great
success the gag about being financially
embarrassed There are many we'll
meaning people who would like TO
possess Il piano and who haven't the
means TO buy a good one OF the maker
who imagine that they can get bar
gain by buying these sacrificed ln-
struments
They seldom discover until they
ARE several hundred dollars out of
pocket thut they have been dupad.
BY the time their eyes hare been
opened the sharper has Disappeared
to another part of the town to work
the same trick under new alias.
There j. regular organized gang of
sharpcrs in the business and ;hcy
reap II fortune every year from gall
ibIo persons.
The bait thrown out for the vie
Tins who are called suckers by the
shnrpcrs Hho work the game can be
spotted right OF by ANY one who takes
the care TO study the dccoy advertise
mcnts, Ine-e all follow It certain
form. The lirst is that used by crooked
storage men. II reads like this:
3, H..u IFI ENI st,u.J n.uHi PIANO,
y it'..i-.E h5r II ADD - - rls,.
i'm nearly every instance the buyer
of these in lrumcul- Us made to pay rs
much and even more lhun the instrG
meut sold can be bought for new OF
tho maker imagining all the I me
that he is securing genuine bargain
O.'cn these Instruments are secured at
cos price ana sometimes the prscg Is
increased That depends upon the
gull,biItiy OF the customer " more
the customer pays $50 for Il piano
thus advertised it is safe 10 bet that
the sharper making the sale makes a
clear profit OF so or 500 on the
transaction. The sharper getting
the instrument Mt cost price, can
easily Afford to indulge in the luxury
OF seeming genero ,ity. and let the Ia
strument 90 mt less than the retail
price and still be ii big gamer. Where
1',s 49,, In',.,in,,,,, III T.. u,yny. 4,
80 ,,nna amn .',,5 ~, cb,ser
It.aa,.a,.' ,n, In,o ihot bc bg- go,
oaao,,t,o I'm, i.n,, 10th what he
Ell 1nn :, S,cnr5Iirr n niouo ,nn-
p, ~ ,nlI,fnl, ont ,he nome of tho
-, a,d ,,'nrl,Ir,, In, :, .,,,qvrJ
u''' ,.s'., - III. - s,a,c'i n,n,a-
mn .,yI,i, -, +. -, corr.a ir,..,l
a,,i,,,,,. :, IA, c,,.ri.d on
Ill. ,bn s,,.pnous otlnrl of tho
~ uaro,s ,s.oc.,,Ion ,o br,al. If
49, IL gcncrn,. seller of an in.
s,,.,,r,nr, IoI. il ro for s25o. n Quarter
~ ~ ad,,r,isin1, v,,Ino i,o win snT
be mt lenst :. o aricud on me trausac.
ton and the purchaser will get IN
instrument whose tone will crack in
less than months tims. The
ycnecring will warp and crack. too
revealing the swindle that has been
p'ayel ON the TOO conhdng pur.
chaser Obviously the sharper can
keep the sacrifice sale mp tvs long rs
there are dunes to buy. ana. rs Il matter
of fact the sharpcrs advert sc day
nfter day these tremendous sacrifices
in the newspapers that publish such
decoy advertisements. 1t is simply
another form of the mock furniture
auctions in private rosi lcuccs that
tn. police have made it dincult to
carry on in the town.
AN even bigger swiudle and one
worked ON widcr scale. said the
piano maker lis the sale OF diamonds
that have been pawncI. This bust
ness is worked 10y the same sort OF
bait. There are about twenty sharp
crs working tbs particular game in
the city at the present time and
some Of them keep the police busy
chasing after them. They each work
under Mt least half do en- abuses
They often employ assistants TO catch
victims so extensive l. their business
Sometimes they have giiis to aid
them. The game is generally worked
through the conn.vance o. uuscrupu-
lous pawnbrokers Any one who is
foolish enough to answer the decoy
advertisement gets reply directing
them to meet the owner of the Jewels
at u certain place. Where the sharp
er has advertised to allow AN inspec.
ton OF the gems he sends a confed-
crate to keep tho appointment with
the dupe and take the ticket along.
The intending purchaser discovers at
the start that he has got TO pay the
pawnbroker fee TO examine the Jew.
els.