Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-03-23
A BOLD BuNco GAME PLAYED.
twenty I'VE Hundred Dollars Ex'
changed for q Worthless Lot
terry Ticket and Tin
Box Of Gravel.

InFee stTanRcTb, WHO hTTiVeu ~ 1io-
tel Willamette Monday and paid their
bill and departed yesterday, relieved q
farmer on the Polk county hills l.. 3.
Skinner Of $500 In very neat man
ner. They played the usual game,
worked 30 successfully on "bunco"
Jones last year, Of wanting TO buy bis
farm.
Mr.. Skinner is well known at Salem
principally for his penurious habits,
and owns $40 acres Of land across the
river. The sharps, registered at Salem
az ID. G. Brook Of Portland, w. B.
Stapp Of Salt Lake and ID. J. Edwards
Of Walla Walla, offered him $500 for
farm. They went all over bis farm,
pretended to believe there was an oil
well on 1t, and the contract was to be
closed yesterday. They were only
waiting for the approval Of q sister Of
one Of the men.
THE LOTTERY SCHEME.
The men approached Skinner next in
q confidential manner with proposal
TO buy lottery ticket, saying they de-
sired to introduce their business here
and knowing him to be man OF solid
financial standing and representative
and responsible man he could give them
start by taking q ticket. The first
ticket he drew was prize Of 5000.
The bunco men Immediately produced
$500 and told Skinner II he would
give them positive assurance that he
had financial standing In the city they
would cash his ticket for 5000.
Wednesday forenoon they demanded
that he put up $25OO, which he imme-
diately borrowed at the Williams q
England bank, as reported In Wednes-
days JOURNAL. He started on the
run for his home across the river, the
sharpers met him on the bridge, took
him in their buggy, put their $500 and
his $500 In a tin box, and placed 1t in
his keeping until they could raise the
balance of the 5000 for his prize-win-
ming lottery ticket. This was all done
In the buggy driving over to the Skin
ner house, where of course they gave
Skinner the "dupe' tin box, exactly
like the one they put his money in
along with theirs, but Of course not the
one. That was the trick that cost the
avaraoious farmer his $500, for which
he gave his note at the bank.
HIS SON INTERVIEWED.
Fl. A. Skinner, only son Of the un-
fortunate victim, said to reporter this
morning that two men came to be
showed over the place Tuesday. The
tall one he believes mesmerized his
father. He had a peculiar glitter Of bis
eyes that he believes fascinated him,
and obtained control over the old gen.
tleman, who Is rs years of age, and Ia
completely Frustrated today. He even
at times now speaks lnvoluntarily and
utters incoherent sentences. He has
pulled himself together 30 "a to realize
his loss, and today offered S400 reward
for the recovery Of the men. But II
will be- impossible TO get the money
back, even II the men are captured.
He gave his word to the robbers not to
tell anyone Of his suddenly acquired
wealth aud no power could induce the
old man to speak while the men were
yet In the city.
OPENING THE BOX.
Chief Of Police Minto went TO the Skin
ner house about five o'clock, when be
met Jas. Aitken with the old man,
who had his box In gunny sack. He
let Mimic open 1t and he did 10 with a
hatcbet, when the light first seemed to
dawn on the unsophis,icated man that
he was robbed. The robbers did not
leave town until eleven a. M, when
they got livery at the Club stables
drove TO Mccoy, took the train to Port.
land and have gone to the other end OF
the globe by this time.
THE OLD MANS STORY.
After the two had been shown over
the place ''perfect stranger" to all APP
peared and proposed the Louisiana
lottery scheme. One Of the two drew
Ave dollars, the other nothing. The
little man drew again and got 5000
prize which was immediately pro-
duced Ia greenbacks and handed TO
him. Then skinner drew $500 prize,
and Il was handed TO him but would not
give II up until satisfied that Skinner
was all right. He was then persuaded
To 20 and get $500. which was boxed
ss related above and the swindle was
Messrs. England. Nc
Nary, Derby, Rynearson 4 Hedrick
went over TO tell him he was swlndled,
but could not convince him.