St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-02
NORTON THE ROGUE
A Swindling Book Agent in
Town Is Reaping a Har-
vest
WITH INNOCENT WOMEN
Through the Medium Of a BIZ
ography Of the "Little
Corporal"
AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE
He Collects So Down, and the
Biographies Never Show
Up.
AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE

There is a swindler abroad in st.
Paul who has been reaping quite a
harvest during the past ten days.
He calls himself w. S. Norton and
pretends to represent a Chicago
book concern, which is issuing a
series of pictures illustrating, in
vivid colors, the life of Napoleon
Bonaparte. Mr.. Norton is, of
course, a most plausible Individual.
His manner is gentle and ingratiat-
ing, his voice persuasive, and his
speech voluble. He is about thirty
five years of age, rather understood,
and has a sandy complexion, with
bright, keen, laughing eyes. He
dresses in somber black, but his
clothes are stylishly cut He wears
no jewelry save small diamond
ring of an old-fashioned make.
While conversing with the lady of
the house" Mr.. Norton has a habit
of running his fingers through his
hair, and occasionally resting them
on his forehead with an air of alb
that he is a man who can think as
we'll as talk.
AS intimated at the outset, Mr.
Norton's career in st. Paul has been
brilliantly successful.
Thus far he has confined his opera
tons to st. Anthony hill, but, hav-
ing harvested nearly all the avail
able crop there, Mr.. Norton has just
begun his missionary work on Day
tons bluff.
His modus operaddi, like thatof
all successful men,
Is Extremely Simple.
In the first place he carries no
visible badge of a book agent or ped
dler. When the servant girl opens
the front door in response to Mr..
Norton's ring size sees standing be-
fore her genteel little fellow, with
kind, but serious, countenance
which impresses her that there is
something momentous afoot.
Il should like to see Mrs. -"
announces Mr.. Norton, with an easy
confidence in his tone that COM
pletely disarms al! suspicion. If
Mrs. - is in, MI Norton sees
her, principally because his behavior
arouses curiosity. AS soon as he
lady of the house, whose name he
has learned by consulting the di-
rectory, Mr.. Norton draws from be-
meath his Overcoat roll of what
looks to be velvet. Untying it causes
it to unroll, and there is revealed to
brilliantly illuminated picture, rep
resenting an imaginary scene be-
tween Napoleon and his Inflated Jo-
sephine. The picture is really very
striking, and the likenesses of the
Little Corporal and the empress
judge. Mr.. Norton, we'll knowing
what a fad the study of Napoleon
Bonapartes life has become this
season, reminds the lady of the re-
vival of interest in
This Fascinating Character
and incidentally touches her social
pride by mentioning the names of
prominent society leaders in St. Paul
and other cities who have taken up
the study of the only compeer of
Alexander the Great and julius
Caesar. Then Mr. Norton talks a
little business. His firm will issue
two dozen of these gorgeous illumin-
ated plates, and they will be accom-
panied by a graphic biography Of
Napoleon. The price of the twenty
four pictures will be $50, and the BIZ
ography will be thrown in. The pict-
ures will be sent to the subscriber at
the rate of six week
If Mr.. Norton succeeds in inducing
the lady to buy, and his record shows
that he has rarely failed, he collects
81 from her on account, signs a con-
tract to deliver all the pictures with
in four weeks from date, leaves the
contract with her, and takes her
order for the goods, as well as the
81. He explains that his firm re-
quireS him to collect the 81 in adj
vance as guarantee of the sub
scriber's good faith. If Mr.. Norton
were not so exceedingly smooth and
plausible, so entertaining and re-
fined in manner and speech, he
might find a difficulty in securing
the advance money, but as it is, his
well-assumed enthusiasm disarms
suspicion.
1t is hardly necessary to add that
the ''lady of the house" never re-
ceives any pictures of Napoleon. or
Of anybody else. There is no Chi
cago firm such as Mr.. Norton rep
resents. 1t is even doubtful if Mr..
Norton is really Mr.. Norton. But
the numerous 81 installments he has
collected are not unreal, rs those
who parted with them can testify
Norton has been reported to the
police by some of his dupes, and the
chances are that if he continues his
work he may be caught.
What is the foremost baking powder
in the world? DR.. Prices, as it's abso-
lutely pure.
COZ