Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-09-25
A DETECTIVES STORY.
The Little Financial Deal Which a Pawn
broker Negotiated.

broker Negotiated.
"Once upon time, said western
detective, II had a friend named Jo
Swartz. Jo was as crooked as dogs
hind leg. His speciality was painting
diamonds Jo could take an ordinary
salt crystal, and by the time he was
through with it you would think it was
the Kohinoor. But it was not about
JOS diamond painting I was thinking.
1t was another little trick he turned.
$50 lived in Kansas City and does
yet, if his residence has not been chang
ed to the penitentiary. Down in the
bottoms, below the bluff, in this city by
the Kaw, there abode Polander by the
name of Witkowski. As way to live
he kept pawnshop, and he knew Jo
Swartz.
Zone day Witkowski came to 10 and
explained how ignorant he was on the
subject of watches, and he also told Jo
he had frequent opportunities to loan
money on watches, and if 10 were will
ing he would like to form an arrange
ment Of friendly sort, whereby he
could bring these proffered watches to
him and learn their value before he
loaned money on them. Jo thought
deeply. 10, too, kept great, big pawn
shop and secondhand jewelry store on
Main street in Kansas City. After knit
ting his brows he advised Witkowski
not to loan money on watches, but in
every possible instance buy the time
piece outright. 10 advised-as Witkow
ski had himself suggested-that as a
primary step he bring all watches to
him. He would tell Witkowski their ex-
act value and just what he could afford
to pay for them. Witkowski returned.
''Jo had about two bushels of cheap
silver watches which he had bought
from some Connecticut company out
right to make part of his stock. These
watches had not been good sale. They
were very cheap silver plated sort.
The next day Jo, through an agent not
known to Witkowski, sent five of these
watches to be sold Witkowski deferred
purchasing until the next day, mean
while insisting on being allowed to
bring the watches up town to be valued.
The man said he had several hundred of
them. Jo looked at them and told Wit
kowski he could easily afford to pay $15
apiece for the watches; that he, SwartZ,
would take them Off his hands at SIT so
and buy all he could of them. Witkow-
ski was delighted. He went back and
invested all the money he had and
bought some 80 odd watches at SIS each.
Hewas to make so. so profit on them by
selling them to Swartz for $3.50. This
would be nice thing for Witkowski.
He slept we'll that night.
'The next day he went up to see
Swartz and told him he had purchased
about two pecks Of those watches and
paid the man $i5 each for them. He
now stood ready to transfer them to
Swartz at an advance Of 81. per
watch. Swartz said he would be glad to
get them, and that it was all right.
"'But, said he, sinking his voice to
a whisper full Of gloomy forebodings,
since you were here some detectives
have been in here looking over MY stock.
They report big robbery of " atches in
the east. They say that over 1000 sill
yer watches were stolen from factory
in Connecticut. They have left the num-
bers of the watches and description.
hope none of these watches you have
bought is a part Of this robbery, but
we can very soon tell, as took list of
I, tlr JoLo
"Witkowski felt q little chilly after
this and chillier still when, after inves-
tigation, it was discovered that 10 had
the number of every watch i'll his pos
session. 1t was indubitable proof TO
Witkowski that he had been buying
stolen goods. 10 told him that he must
wash his hands of the transaction and
could not possibly buy the watches at
any price; that he was afraid he would
get into the penitentiary if he touched
them. Witkowski wrung his hands and
tore his hair. He was ruined At last
10, pretending great sympathy for
Witkowski, and because, as he confess
ed, he had ways Of working them off
that Witkowski didn't possess and could
therefore handle them with more safety,
concluded to risk So watch.
cit thus transpired that 10 gave
Witkowski about $500 and recovered
back his own watches, which the day
before he had sawed off on Witkowski
for 81 500. When the matter ended, the
sage Joseph had his watches again and
about 81, 900 of the money of the trust
ing Witkowski. Washington Star.