Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02
Details of the Gold Brick Trick.

Aroul me Indianapolis sentinel.
or the vast army of human beings who prey
upon their fellow meI there are none more
dangerous or desperate and none who cope as
successfully with the police as the three-card-
monte men and gold brick swindlers These
two branches of the crooked profession are dis
tincty American, and they are as a rule, fol-
lowed by men Of more than ordinary shrewd-
ness and nerve. Their operations. unlike other
classes Of crooks, are necessarily confined
almost exclusively to the rural districts and
small towns of the country. Their earnings,
II the term may be used, are simply enormous,
and if they were inclined to be proyident many
OF them could pose as retired mlllionaires while
stu mddle-aged But their ill-gotten gains
evaporate like water and they only retire when
the prison doors close upon them. or when a
pollcemans bullet winds up crooked career.
The gold brick men are the top sawyers of
the crooked fraternity, said local detective
who has had much dealing with these men TO a
reporter. 'les." he continued impressively.
they have given the plain clothes men more
trouble than any other class of crooked people
In the country, and will continue TO do go,
suppose, tor all time to come. Monte aSd the
gold brick graft 60 hand in hand Show Inc
man who is selling bricks and I'll show you
man who myers the three cards whenever the
opportunity offers. or course everybody who
has read the papers knows that the gold brick
swIndle is as old as the hills 1t has been ex-
posed hundreds of times, and yet, while you
may not believe it. more suckers have been
landed ON 1t during the past year than ever be-
fore.
''As q rule three Of these people work to-
gether, and they never work in the dark
either. When they decide to descend upon a
community one OF the gang goes ahead and
picks out tine mark who is TO be worked After
ne locates ms victim he proceeds TO gain all
the information he can concerning him. and
especially as to the state of his finances 1t
| does not take the 'tzer' long to make the ac-
quantance of the 'pappy guy and BIZ the
time his confederates make their appearance
on the scene, generally week after has
arrival. he and the old man are warm friends
| 1t is usually the fxer's play to be in search of
| a farm, and the price that he intimates that he
wiil pay the OLD man tor his place makes the
| latters eyes bulge out with establishment
He. OF course. does not want the farm for HIM
SELF, but Is SIMPLY acting as agent for a couple
OF eastern men, who will be along in a few
| days. Sure enough, the alleged spectators
present themselves at the eLd of the week and
| the trio drive out to look at the farm. The
strangers are well pleased with it, and will be
| ready to consummate the deal just as soon as
they receive certain sum of money for which
| they have that morning telegraphed.
I'm the conversation that follows the gold
| brick is produced, with that old, old story.
and few minutes later three clever bunco
| men arc shaking the dust Of that COM
munity from their pedal extremities with
several Thousand dollars of that old farmer 8
| good money In their inside pockets. Occa-
| sionally, when the swindlers have induced the
victim TO draw money from the bank TO 60
against n sure thing, they will not even give
him chance to lose it on the brace game
| They are in hurry and adopt the quickest
method of getting the roll, which is to shove
| a gun in his face, grab the doodle and drive
| rapidly away. This, of course is nothing
more nor less than highway robbery and it is
fraught with more Danger than the straightoat
bunco; it is never resorted to unless operators
fear that some outsider has got next to their
play and they have no time to lose"