Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-12-16
Sam. Old coms-sut Successful

A gentleman aged about IS years,
says the Hagerstown Globe OF Thurs
day last, entered the Hotel Hamil-
ton and with a nervous scrawl regis
tered the name, James b. Crowel,
Greencastle, Pa. He wore worried
look and inquired of Clerk Gunnells
il he knew OF detective in Hagers-
town whom he could employ to work
up a case. He afterward saw States
Attorney Charles A. Little and to
him he told an interesting story.
Wednesday morning a man came
to Mr.. Crowell, in Greencastle, and
represented himself rs the son OF AL
exander Stewart, OF Scotland, Pa.
Mr.. Crowell was an old friend Of Mr..
Stewart and he welcomed whom he
thought to be his friends son. Mr..
Stewart is cashier of Harrisburg
bank. The supposed son said he
wanted to buy farm and MIR. Crow
ell took him a short distance out OF
Greencastle aud showed him one OF
his farms The man exhibited pleas
ure and said the farm exactly suited
him and left Mr.. Crowell under the
impression that he would buy it.
AS they were returning TO Green
castle, they met man, a stranger 10
Mr.. Crowell and apparently stranger
to the gentleman who represented
himself as Mr.. Stewart. The stranger
told his little story, saying that he
was from Kentucky and had come
on to give u sister some money but
found that she was dead. he then
proposed game Of cards, which he
had with him. Mr.. Crowell objected
at first and said he did not care for
the game.
But the son of his old friend impor-
tuning, he at last consented and after
playling while for amusement.
PLAYED for So, 900 stakes. Mr.. Crowell
drew a card and won $4,000. He was
told that he would have to have
$4,000 in cash to put up before he
could get the money he had won.
Mr.. Crowell went to Greencastle
and drew the necessary $4,000 from
the bank and returned to the place
along the road where the game was
played. He found the men waiting
for him. In some manner the
stranger got hold Of the box contain
ing the 5000 and gave Mr.. Crowell
a box which he supposed contained
not only the $4,000 which he drew
from the bank but also the $4,000
which he had won. The party sepa-
rated, Mr.. Stewart telling Mr.. Crow
ell that he would see him again
about his farm.
When Mr.. Crowell got home he
opened the box to count his money
and was greatly surprised at finding
the box filled with moss and bark.
Mr.. Crowell saw at once that he was
taken in by pair of sharpers. He
came to Hagerstown and Mr.. Little
aided him all he could but no clue to
the men has as yet been secured.
When the game was over, the two
men got into the buggy and left Mr..
Crowell to walk home.
Mr.. Crowell is a well-known citizen
OF Greencastle and is possessed of
considerable wealth. He is part
owner in the Crowell Grain Drill
Works at ,ireencastle and owns the
Crowel Hotel in the same place.
The game practiced by the
strangers is old enough to have moss
on it also, and the astonishing part OF
the transaction is that Il man OF Mr..
Crowelrs intelligence, and who is
certainly newspaper reader, should
fall a victim to so old a scheme. The
infatuation of gain, evidently, robbed
him Of his better judgment. A most
distressing feature of the swindle is
that the rascals are successful. The
attempt to beat them at their own
game counteracts what sympathy
might be created for the unfortunate
victim.