The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-12
FL1M-FLAM IN SALOONS.
A Game That Has Been Worked in San
Francisco.
From the San Francisco Call.

I rom UIle San TduClSCO Adll
A large number of saloon keepers in
San Francisco have recently been
victimized by two counterfeiters-Dr
Whitfield and John Mcdonald. Their
success has been phenomenal, considering
the utter baseness of the spurious coin
they palmed Oft on their ordinarily shrewd
victims. The trick was combination of
the "Aim-Bam" device with a slight effort
at legerdemain.
Whitfield and Mcdonald, both well
dressed men, would enter saloon in
company. Whitfield would pose as a
doctor aud Mcdonald as patient. The
latter as he approached the bar would
talk in loud voice about his gratitude to
the physician for his wonderful cure that
his friend had accomplished. The con-
versation would take this kind of turn:
doctor, | know | would have died but
for that prescription you gave me-"
NOh, that's all nonsense; you were not
quite as bad OF as all that" was the an
sWer.
But knew better, would shout Mr.
Mcdonald. II was ready 10 Croak. You
are the best doctor l ever met, and Ive
| tried hundreds"
Meanwhile the barkeeper had tossed
| two tumblers on the bar and had become
an interested listener.
suggested the doctor, very cheerily, at
the same time throwing good Sl0-piece
/ down on the bar
| The two having named their drinks,
: Mcdonald would walk to the lunch coun-
/ ter and help himself to some cold crab,
! keeping up at the same time his converse
ton with the doctor, who remained at the
bar. By the time Mcdonald returned
/ from the lunch counter the drinks would
! be ready and the doctors change counted
| 10 him, including good 50 gold-piece and
! a lot of silver.
McDonald's face would then be sud
! denly transformed into an interrogation
| point Then in voice of assumed anger
he would shout as he showed the change
back to the barkeeper, while the doctor
was pretending TO reach for it:
That don't go. l called for the drinks,
and ! amt going to let you pay for them.
No Doctor you've done enough for me
already. His money is no good, bar
| keeper. The drinks are on me-"
The outcome was always the same. Nc
Donald was the most persistent. and the
good natured doctor always surrendered.
Take back the change and give him
his $40" said Mcdonald, as with one
! hand he thrust his own good dollar into
the barkeeper's hand, while with the
other he pushed the doctors change to-
ward the man behind tue counter.
The compIacent barkeeper was satisfied
so long as he collected his tolls Seeing
that the doctor had succumbed, he swept
the change back into the cash register,
took his pay for the drinks out Of Nc,
Donald's big dollor, ana returned to the
doctor his beautiful $40 piece.
In the scramble during the controversy
as TO which of the two men should pay
for the drinks, counterfeit % would be
substituted by the doctor or Mcdonald
for the genuine one which the barkeepel
had taken from the till. 1t was not until
long after the two sharpers had left the
saloon that the spurious coin would be
| discovered. TIE recollection OF the
I struggle between the two strangers
flashed upon the mind Of the victim, and
he knew that he had been swindled.