The Dickinson press., 1894-02-03
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A Special Effort made to nxplain
Thelr Methods Of Swfndlan..

A Special Effort made to Rxplaan
Their Methods Of swindlinx.
30 many people at the hotels and I'm
other public places about town have
lately been victimized by sharpers that
yesterday large cards, containing q
warning, were issued by the police de-
partment and sent to hotels. These
have been placed in the most conspic-
ious places usually ut or near the desk
where the registering Is done.
At the Grand Hotel there are several
OF these placards, and at the Palace,
California, Baldwin, Lick, and Occiden-
tai a greater or less number are display
ed. The department has also sent
cards to the myriads of smaller hotels.
The army of confidence men that have
arrived in the city during the past few
weeks are fanked by sharpers of more
or less note from different eastern
cities. They hope to reap rich har-
vests from visitors and residents.
The notice of warning which has been
u posted ut the hotels is as
follows:
Strangers are hereby notified to be-
OF buncO steerers, short-card play
ers and confidence men. These men in
TEST the corridors of hotels, the vicinity
OF railroad ticket offices and hotel wine
rooms. They obtain from the hotel
registers the names Of guests and
places from which they come, meet
them on b street with q cordial good
morning or good evening, and calling
them by name, say, II knew you at
mentioning the place where you are
1rom.) The man being in q strange
place, and unused to the ways of these
vermin, Is only too ready to greet a per-
son who may claim that he knew him
at his home. Then follows a friendly
drink, and an invitation to take a walk,
ana finally he Is ushered into q back
room Of a saloon where a game of cards
or dice is in progress.
On the pretense to pass the time the
stcerer takes q hand, be it cards or
dice, and wins some money. He then
asks the stranger to play, often divid-
Ing his winnings with him as an in
ducement. This invitation is rarely re-
fused. After a little time he is dealt q
hand ut cards; he then finds that his
opponent has a hand that beats him.
It 1t should be a dice game, he Is also
invited to participate, which he does,
resulting in his losing his money, pro-
baby all he has in the world.
The buncO steerer Invariably extends
sympathy to the victim and wishes him
better luck next time. They leave the
place together, but the victim is soon
shaken off, when the steerer returns to
the saloon to get his percentage of the
winnings 80 obtained by fraud.
Shun all strangers who approach, in
sist and claim to know you. If you do
not you may repent 1t.
ut is doubtless a good idea to post
the notices." said one hotel man yester-
day, but If they don't read the papers,
and see the warning daily, 1 don't
know how this will reach them. The
public is very peculiar sometimes, es-
pecially the travelling public. While
this class of people are usually better
informed than any other, they read the
papers and s%traightway forget, think
ing they can take care of themselves.
LAS Il fact those who really know
themselves. but it must be remembered
that probably a majority of those Mt
the hotels travel but little. They are
here from the country towns, and from
their stores and ranches, md are not
always awake to the wlles Of these
confidence men,.
Different hotel proprietors say that
during he past two weeks they have
mad to keep constant watch for card
sharps and buncO steercrs, who come
in, seat themselves, and try to draw
strangers into cOnverSatiOn.-Sau
Francisco Chronicle.