The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-12-12
WORKED LIKE
A CHARM.
A TOwnSman VictimiZed Of a New
BuncO Scheme.
HOW LUTO WAS TRAPPED.
Instead Of Making Profit of $3.50
on a Bogus Reward He Finds Him
self Out Twenty.
HOW LUTO WAS TRAPPED.

Another new and ingenious bunco
scheme has been developed and one of our
town Polish business men is one of its
first victims. He is Frank Luto the pro-
prietor of a saloon on South Main street.
One day last week Luto received letter
postmarked "Gi9ardville" The writer
stated that he was a commercial traveller
and bad met Luto in the store of friend
in Shenandoah that during a recent
visit to the town the writer had lost a one
thousand-dollar railroad bond worth,
with the coupons attached, $1,000. Mr..
Luto was asked to be on the lookout
among his countrymen for the missing
bond and promised $500 reward for its
return. The drummer o. apolog'zed for
not making a personal call on the ground
of pressure of business. He seut his ad-
dress at New York City and requested in
formation at the earliest opportunity.
Luto did not recognize the name signed
to the letter but after some reflection con
cluded that he had probably met the
writer some place, The $500 reward also
served to make the saloonkeeper accept
A day or two later a stranger walked
into Luto's saloon, carrying large white
envelope in his hand He called for
drink and cigar and carelessly threw the
envelope upon the bar remarking, as he
struck a match to light his cigar, There
is something just picked up on the street.
! wonder who owns it." Luto became in
terested. what is it p he asked 81 don't
know. have not opened the envelope,
but will now aud see what it contains
Suiting the action to the determination
the stranger tore open the envelope and,
as he drew out paper he exclaimed,
"Geeristopher Columbo This is Ger.
tainly find, Why, its some kind of a
bond % Luto's eyes almost bulged from
their sockets. "a bond bond % he
exclaimed. why, friend of mine has
lost bond"
The stranger appeared to be TOO much
absorbed in the document to hear what
the salooukeeper had said, but after APP
parentlY carefully scrutinizing the bond
he exclaimed, why this is a 81 O0O rail-
road bond and the coupons are worth
another $500 / wonder who owns it, /
guess l'll advertise and see if / can find
out"
Luto WAS worked up TO high pitch of
interest by this time and again told the
stranger Of the loss sustained by friend.
The man who held the bond smiled in
credulously That's what ever ybody
says when they know good thing has
been found | wouldn't like to be careless
in this matter. 1t is a heavy loss and l
want to see it get into the hands of the
right party"
Luto again asserted with some vehem-
ence that one of his friends had lost the
bond and called attention to the fact that
being in business it would not pay him to
make false claim or try to get hold of
the bond unlawfully. The stranger
finally said he believed Luto and offered
to surrender the bond on payment of $50.
| Luto protested that his friend had only
offered a reward Of S25. He was willing
to give the stranger so and take the five
dollars balance as his own reward After
some dickering the stranger consented TO
surrender the bond for $40 Luto paid
over the money and took the bond with
the card of the stranger, who represented
himself as a commercial traveller from
Scranton.
Luto has the bond in his safe and it
will probably remain there until che
saloonkeeper uses it to start fire, or
makes some other Indifferent use of il.
The New York address given by Che Gi
rardville correspondent was undoubtedly
fictitious. At all events the letters sent
| TO the address have been returned and
the supposed loser of the bond has not
eviuced any anxiety over it since he left
Glrardvlle. Even telegram have failed
to arouse an interest More than this,
there appears to be no such railway iu the
United States as that named in the bond
/ II any one knows where the Offices o. the
"New Orleans. Mobile H Alabama Rail-
road" are the Information will be CRATE
fully received by Mr.. Luto. The bond
was a very clever piece OF work aud much
SIN rter mea than Lu,o Cou d be deceived
by iJ, There is no doubt that the man.
who wrote the letter from G urdulleaud
the one who found CD the bond weieiden-
tigal Next!