The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-29
GRAFT WITH CONSIDERABLE
SUCCESS.
THEY USE CARDS THIS TIME.
RENTED A ROOM AT THE BtaNNER
HOTEL TO SHOW THEIR
SAMPLES.
ONLY TWO TRICKS REPORTED,
Others That Were Mott. III. WaddeI
Gives Up $55, William Dali
ton $55.

The smooth young men who have
made it a practice of hustling to the
union depot daily and after becoming
acquainted with some rural tourist
skinning him by means of little brass
lock backed up by an alleged detec-
tive with tin star, have turned their
time and attention to another graft.
The result is the same, however, but
the work is not so coarse and the clean
up more paying than the lock game.
Friday afternoon a sucker" as the
confidence men call their victims, drop
ped $50 at the game, and yesterday
another live one" gave up $75 of good
money. Both men who lost their
money reported the game to the police,
but as they were on their way West
and could not stay in town the "con"
men will not be convicted, even should
they be apprehended by the police. The
police besides are not aprehending con-
fidence men, that is, ST. Paul police
are not doing so.
The gang commenced operations some
days ago, and the number of tricks
pulled off by them is not definitely
known, although the police claim there
have been but two kicks" up to date.
The trio for there are three men in
the party, according to the statements
of the two who were robbed, rented a
first floor front room at the Banner
hotel, at Sibley and Eighth streets, last
Wednesday. They told the woman WhA
keeps the place that they were cloth
merchants and desired a room in the
business district in which to show sam
pies of a new line of woolens. They
said they did not want the room only
in the day time and offered 81 a day
for the use of the apartment.
Friday afternoon j. H. Waddel, Of
New Raleigh, W. Va, arrived in the
city on his way to Montana. He had
a couple of hours to wait for a coast
train, and while gazing at the mercan-
tile houses on Third street was ap-
preached by a well dressed stranger.
A remarkable coincidence it was. The
stranger was also on his way to Mon
tana, and was, as luck would have it,
going out on the same train as Waddel.
The stranger was on his way to a hotel
where himself and his two chums were
stopping, and Waddel was invited to
go along and help carry the grips Of
the crowd to the depot. Arriving at
the Banner hotel, the strangers two
friends were found in the room they
had rented, engaged in game of
cards. Waddel was invited to take a
hand, and, just to be sociable, consent
ed. Ten minutes later he was on his
way to the depot with the stranger,
somewhat confused at the incidents of
the game, but very clear to the fact
that his cash was $55 short The fell
low who was to go to Montana went
to see about the baggage, and, as he
failed to come back, Waddel told his
story to the depot policeman. Being a
stranger in town.. he was unable to
locate the hotel, and, as his ticket was
a limited one, he was obliged to leave
for the West Friday night.
Yesterday another beef reached the
police from the card game. The vic
tim this time was William Dalton, who
was on his way to Spokane. Dalton
told how he had been approached by
a stranger near the Sherman house.
The story was the same as in the case
the card game. Dalton, however, was
much brighter than Waddel, and read
lily escorted the police to the place
where he had been turned The trio.
however, had left the room, and the
woman who kept the hotel could do
nothing but give the police a descrip-
ton of the men who had rented the
room.
Chief of Detectives Schweitzer said
last evening that the gang were evi-
IDENTIFY strangers, who had dropped into
town, and that there was possibility
of the detectives being able to gather
them in. Dalton felt much elated at
getting off with loss of only SO, as
he admitted that the men, if they had
played him easy like, could have Sc
cured a much larger sum. From Dal-
tons description of the men it is be-
lieved that Chief Schweitzer's diagnosl=
about strangers" is a very bad guess