The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-06-02
GREEN GOODS WITH A VARIATION.
4 Scheme That Shows Ingenuity and .
Phase That Proves Tempting.

Another and most tempting phase vi
the green goods scheme has made its
appearance. 1t was tried in Hartford
recently, but the nan whom the crooks
intended TO make their victim was too
fly" for them. They took the warning
and skipped the town. This is the plan
Of the game:
A stranger comes to town and selects
MS victim, usually a saloon keeper. He
makes tie saloon his hangout and
spends money freely. The proprietor
soon notices, if he is at all observant,
that every time he stranger pays for
anything he passes out 4 crisp, I'M
wrinkled bill. The stranger becomes
very friendly with the proprietor, and
one fine day he says:
We'll, must say good-by tomorrow.
But before ! go | wish you would give
me back those new bills. l will give
you other money for them"
Why, what forp"
"Weil, Iii tell you. That money I've
been spending here is not right, seep
I've grown to like you, and | don't
want you to get into trouble"
The victim is astonished. Probably
goes to his cash drawer and examine.
some of the money. He swears that ii
is real, but the stranger laughs AT him.
Real? why, FL sell you cords of that
stuff for $50 a 800" Then the stranger
goes on to explain the same old story
but with this addition:
you've seen this exposed in the pa
pers Il hundred times, and how a mar is
bound to lose his money if he runs up
against the game. Well, if you'll do
business with me III put the money
right in your hands before you pay me
a cent?"
That certainly Aooks reasonable, and
let us suppose tae victim bites. He
agrees to do business He says he
will buy 800 worth. The sharper then
tells him to meet him the next day with
500 in So bills. They meet. The
sharper produces a large envelope.
They count the money and place it in
the envelope. The victim is directed to
seal the envelope. The stranger then
says:
Now, l will mark this envelope in
your presence" Suiting the action to
THE words he takes out a stylographic
pen, spreads out u newspaper on the
bar to write upon, writes q number
across one end and three initials in tho
middle; then, as he blots the writing
with the newspaper, says: "Now you
Weep this envelope with your money in
it, and when our agent calls on you to-!
morrow he will count the goods into
your hand. And when you are con-
WINGED that it is just rs represented, not
before, hand him this envelope. He
will recognize the number and initials
and receive it Us payment"
With these words the stranger hands
the victim his envelope, bids him good
by, and takes his leave. 1t is needless
to say that he Immediately leaves town,
and that when the agent fails to arrive
the next day and the victim opens hi
envelope he finds it filed only with
pieces Of blank paper cut to represent,
The s. bills!
a few words viii suffice to explain
the trick, for it is rs truly a sleight-of-
hand trick as any Jewett or Hermann
or Keller ctn do on the stage. The
crook has two envelopes precisely alike.
One he prepares by marking it with a
number and initials and filling it with
- lSGuittb Llttilptl VI pltLh SItciS u
paper. This he folds inside of a news.
paper and puts it ~carelessly in his side
pocket.
The other envelope he keeps in read
mess to produce at the right moment to
receive the victims money. When he
has seen the bundle" safely inside, and
sealed. he takes out his newspaper,
Spreads the envelope upon it, writes on
It, opens up one + of the paper,
and puts it underneath and blots it.
Then here comes the change. which is
simple enough. He takes out the dunn
my envelope aud hands it to the victim.
1t is all so natural that any one might
be deceived. The victim thinks that his
money does not go out Of his sight for a
moment, but it does, very much So
Hartford 1tncs.