The morning call., 1893-01-20
MUDHENS' MONEY.
Something About Curb
stone Brokers.
DOLLARS CHEAPLY EARNED.
How the Unfortunate Women Are VIC
timized-They Are Beginning to
Take Alarm and Stay Away.

| III tuO VI tuO udJ mhoS
have noticed two things: First. the tre-
mendous gathering of apparently unem-
ployed men on both sides of the sidewalk !;
second, the frequent entrance aud disap-
pearance by ones and twos of elderly women
| into a doorway midway between the streets
named on the east side.
The doorway is that of the Pacific Stock
Exchange, which admits women as freely as
the regular Stock Exchange rejects them.
just now these women are nursing a
grievance, and there has been notable
falling off in the attendance for some time
past. Where two or three years ago a
hundred women might be seen at any
moment watching the call OF the stocks now
there are not score.
The apparently unemployed men outside
have something to do with this change Of
affairs and also with tho grievance referred
to, as will presently appear.
| A large proportion of the men are either
builders or contractors, and there are also
some men who are looking for job. but in
the crowd there can be easily singled out
| pretty strong representation OF those men
who make it their boast that they toll not
neither do they spin.
These non-toilers, these knights Of rest.
would tell you, if they cared to do so. that
they live on the folly of the women who at
tend the Pacific Stock Exchange in quest of
some speculation that will pay Is per cent
at least
OF course, there are regular and respect
able brokers In the Pacific Stock Exchange
who buy and sell stocks on commission.
and If the women who patIonize them want
to invest, why there is no difficulty In the
way OF taking the money.
But the shabby-genteel and sancti-
Misunderstanding individuals who Turk In
the doorways around the Exchange seldom
have any office or place Of business of their
own. Their Office is the sidewalk and their
capital the credulity of wOmankind.
The stock market has been very dull for
some time past and the 'mudhens." as the
lady members of the Pacific Stock Exchange
are diSreS pectfu1y called. have missed the
pleasant excitement which the rapid ups
and downs of stock have hitherto fur
nshed them. They have most of them got
little money and are feverishy anxious TO
investit AT high rate of interest. They
don't mind losing once In while, provided
they can turn the wheel OF fortune round
and round frequently.
The sanctimoD ous and sleek gentlemen
! OF leisure already referred 10 are well
aware of this and are ever on the look out
Tor the chance OF getting hold Of these
w0mens money Tor investment. Once the
money is in their hands that is commonly
the last the victim ever sees of it.
These ShaTpers, or cappers, or women
robbers. as they are called in the plain
paTlanee of the street. are mostly cid
habtues of the Exchange aud have had, in
their palmy days. the handling of consider
able money for investment in stock gambling
transactions on behalf of the women.
When the ''cappeT" sees promising SUBJ
iect approaching the portal of the Exchange
and things are dead in the world of stocks
inside, lie is not slow TO inform her of this
fact. and to suggest that there are some
| phenomenal bargains in the real estate
market just now. A conversation ensues,
and the result generally is that the bait is
| swallowed. common proposition is TO
put up some small sum, say from SO 10 $3.50,
TO buy certain LOT, guaranteed to be worth
thrice the money and which can be resold
Immediately
Ii is very hard temptation for a woman
with $500 IN her purse, or day when stocks
are dull, to be told by man who has been
| her 'chum" in business propositions of the
| quick-proht gambling order in DAYS gone
| by. that he can get her tot fer $500 cash
which will be worth $3.50 10 week or two,
and for which customer Is even now look
ing out. The average "lone" woman with
the gambling instinct, more or less forcibly
| developed in all her sex, is very apt to close
| with such a proposal.
The capDer soon inslnuates that as it has
to be cash transaction. and the friend"
who has offered him the bargain will not
deal with any other person, the money had
| better be handed over to him as SOON as
| possible. In most cases the victim, il she
has the money about her. will hand ii over
| simply taking the capper's note, which is
| commonly worth little less than the paper
on which 1t is written. Ii she has not the
! money with her she will 60 to the bank and
draw II. The capper gets 1t. and that is the
| last of 1t.
1t would seem at first sight that there Is
enough of the criminal element in such
| transaction to warrant the arrest of the
| capper on n charge of obtaining money
by false pretenses, but il is the rarest thing
for the victims to "squeal." One Of tile
| reasons may be that the capper has previ-
ousy done business with the lady in some
shady transaction that made her particeps
| eriminis. and she prefers to suffrr the ills
| she has rather than fly TO those she knows
not Of.
But in numbers of cases the woman has
paid the money over in good faith, honestly
believing that everything is as represented,
| ana having always acted uprighily in
money matters. This makes 40 difference
in the result The "capDeI's" great aim is
to get the money. and if very hard pushed,
or threatened with criminal prosecution.
| he relies on some friend to help him out ana
make up the money.
A well-known private detective Yesterday
exhibited to reporter a note given by one
| OF the haDgers-on of the Montgomery
street financial by-ways 10 woman whom
| he had lnduced TO withdraw $500 from a
bank by representing that the bank was in
| shaky condition. He then induced her
| to make over the am cunt TO him, for invest
ment presumably, and gave a note as fol-
| lows:
SAN FRANCISCO, March Ia
| On demand promise 10 pay Mrs. +. +. II. -
| the sum OF thee hundred and twenty dollars
| H32O.) This Is not transferable.
Signature
This note" sail the detective, 'has been
| repeatedly presented for payment, which
| has been evaded. on some pretext or other,
| TIL row the paper is worthless.
| Ihe same man was entrusted by the
| poor woman with a sum of money TO be
paid to third person, with the request that
he obtain receipt. The receipt was not
! Forthcoming, though she asked for It num-
! Der OF times. Then she met the person TO
| whom The money was supposed to have been
| paid and ascertained that lie had never re-
! ceiyed IL. She recovered the amount only
| by threatening TO send the other man to
! San Quentin, but the note he gave her for
the $500 has never been paid.
There have been quite a number OF cases
of this kind lately" said the detective,
land that is why the women are beginning
! to fight shy OF stocks. 1t IS not the brokers
they arc afraid of, but these fellows out
| side. Something serious will come of it
before long.
These men are no ordinary street bum
mers Many OF them are middle-aged men,
wearing frock coats and sovepipe hats,
/ and have very plausible address. 1t Is no
wonder the women are deceived by them"
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