The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-01
THE LATEST .SWINDLE
UNIQUE SCHEME TO BEAT ACCIDENT
INSURANCE COMPANIES.
All the Operator Needs Is Piece of
Sandpnper, Mustard Plaster
and Mock Fall.

New York Press
There is new swindling game in the
market. The insurance companies of
course, are the victims. Every rogue and
crock out of dishonest job and in need of
funds turns as naturally to an insurance
company for aid as business man turns
to his banker. The companies are looked
on as his legitimate prey and he feels no
more conjunction in robbing them than he
would in lighting a borrowed cigar. 1t
would take an index to classify the differ
ent brands of bunco games that have been
sprung on the insurance companies since
the business of issuing policies began. and
the latest one, while it differs in many de-
tails from previous brands, has probably ex-
cited no more alarm in insurance circles
than a great many others.
There are several reasons why the new
swindle appeals directly to those uneasy
rascals who live wholly by dishonest en-
ployment of their wits. In the first place.
it requires little or no capital. With an in
vestment of So the confidence man can live
in comparative ease and luxury for a week
In the second place, it is not complicated;
its simplicity, in fact, is one of it's strongest
features, and, like most bunco games it can
be played successfully on that account. The
absence of danger of detection is another
point which makes it popular with rogues.
There are accomplices necessary to swing
it, but they are unconscious accomplices,
and are totally innocent of any wrongdoing
or knowledge of the part they are playing.
Two pals are sufficient When the abunco
man is ready to try his game he first of all
invests in four necessary articles-an acct
dent policy, a piece of sandpaper, mus
tard plaster and strip of thin cheese cloth.
With these simple implements he is thor
oughly equipped and ready to begin opera
tons. The thirty-six hour travellers insur-
ance tickets are most desirable, and at the
same time less expensive.
After buying one of them the operator
bords train; 1t may be only to Newark
or YCnkers, or some other nearby town.
Once in the car he retires to the toilet room,
pulls up his trousers leg or his coat sleeve.
as the case may be- and vigorously applies
the sandpaper to the part of his anatomy
that he desires to injure. After rubbing
Until the blood comes he places the cheese
cloth, after first moiStening it. over the
sandpapered flesh, and on top of that
spreads the mustard plaster. In five min
utes the action of the mustard has infiamed
the raw flesh and produced an ugly swell
ms
Just before the destination is reached the
plaster is removed, and when the tram
walks halfway down the aisle toward the
door and accidentally falls over a satchel,
or trips over the leg of a seat. When he
gets up he limpS painfully and falls ex-
lausted into one of the Seats
This always should be dore in the pres
ence of the conductor, a brakeman or one
of the trainmen. When they hurry to as
sist him, as naturally they will, he has
pulled up his trousers leg or his coat sleeve
and disclosed his carefully prepared prop
erty wound 1t is angry and terribly in
famed by this time and the fall has caused
the blood to flow afresh. The buncO man
murmurs family that he believes he has
been hurt and the conductor or the brake
man helps him from the train and hands
him over to the station master, who in
turn directs him to some doctor and puts
him aboard a street car
The doctor is the most important accom-
plice. The victim of the accident limps into
his office, apparently suffering intensely,
and shows him the bruised or bleeding knee
elbow. Ninety-nine times in a hundred
the fake wound will deceive the most skill
full and experienced physician. He orders
that his patient keep absolutely quiet for
at least week. and after prescribing a
remedy and pocketing his fee tells him to
call again in a day or two.
The bunco man promptly destroys the pre-
scription and applies the mustard plaster
again. Then he returns to New York, and
either goes in retirement or limps painfully
around the streets. In two or three days
he writes to his accomplice the doctor, say
ing that it is impossible for him to call, de-
ether prescription.
incidentally he mentions that he was
lucky enough to buy an accident insurance
policy and asks the doctor II ne VIII De
good enough to sign d certificate to the ell
feet that he saw his injury, treated him for
it and ordered him to remain quiet Tor at
least four days.
While he is waiting for his reply he in
forms the insurance company from which
he has bought the policy that he has been
injured and asks that his claim be settled
as soon as possible. He gives as his Wit
nesses the doctor who treated him and
the railroad man who helped him from the
train.
Generally these witnesses are satisfactory
to the company, but if it sees fit to send its
medical examiner to investigate the case
the bunco man fools him in the same way
and just as easily as he fooled the ply
stefan and the train hand. The policy,
amounting generally to $50 a week, is set
tied in full. and the bunco man remains in
jured from ten days to two weeks, or as
long as he can without exciting suspiclon'
The example cited is only a primitive form
of the swindle. 1t can be elaborated SO
that the rogue will receive anywhere from
$1,000 to $1,000. In fact, there is no unit
to its scope, and a man who is clever can
live like a prince the year round and never
perform any work more arduouS than sand
papering his own skin.
THE extent to which the newest game
is being played" said a detective for
big accident insurance company the other
day. will never be known 1t is almost
impossible to catch a man at it. We may
be morally certain that he is playing a
crooked scheme on us and vet we cannot
prove it. The doctor has signed the certi-
ficate in good faith. the witness to the acct
dent swears that he saw the man. fall with
sufficient force to produce the injury. and
there you are. We cannot produce any wit
neSSeS to offset the testimony of the ply
stefan or the conductor. In using the sand
paper and the mustard plaster the man runs
absolutely no risk of sustaining q perma-
nent injury. The pain of producing the
wound is trivial and except for a little
burning when the plaster is applied, the
poor fellow suffers no Inconvenience. i
have seen cases that / know were frauds,
and yet were done so artistically that a
clinic would not discover it.
when the really clever men play they
injurc the knee in preference to other parts
of their body. 1t is easier to affect q limp
than q stiff arm. and by a little judiciOus
touching up of the shin. sandpapering it
cisely the same as if a man had fallen and
barked his leg.
They only play one company at a time.
Should they buy three or four different pol
icies they would either have to swear to a
lie when we asked them if they were in
sured in any other companies. or else they
would admit that they We're and thus lay
themselves open to suspicion. Any man
who is a reasonably good actor and has a
sufficient disregard for the truth can play
the trick and with comparative safety.
-&-O-D
A LESSON IN CIVIL SERVICE.
How Rotation i'm ONCE Would Affect
Postal Bank System.