The San Francisco call., 1898-01-14
J. w. Kite, a Miner From British Colum bia, the
 Victim.
He Was on His Way to This City for Treatment and
 Parted With $551.
Captain Bohen Has Detailed Two Detectives to Search for the
 Confidence Operators.

The number of people who report to the police that they have been the vic tims of bunko men is astonishing, the more so as most of them are men gift ed with ordinary intelligence and in their different spheres are looked upon as successful and shrewd in their deal- ings with their fellow men.
 J. w. Kite, a miner from Silverton, B. C., is the latest victim heard from. He called at police headquarters yesterday morning and told Captain Bohen pitt ful story which aroused the sympathy of the veteran detective.
 Kite is troubled with a tumor on the back and left Silverton about a week ago to come to a sanitarium in this city to have it attended to- While in Seattle waiting for the steamer to bring him here he met a man who in- troduced himself as a cattleman on his way to this city. Kite, being a stranger here, was only too glad to make the ac- Quaintance of such an obliging and well-dressed man. They walked around that city and finally Kite was led into a room and introduced to another man. The cattleman suggested to the other that they should have a quiet game of poker. They played a few hands, the
 
 He took Kite aside and told him con- fidentially that if he had any money he could join him and they would share the winnings. He showed Kite a bogus draft for $2, 500 on a bank in San Fran cisco to prove to him that he was a man of means. The bait took and Kite handed him $251 in cash and draft on a San Francisco bank for $500, which at the request of the cattleman he in- dorsed.
 The cattleman and the other man started to play again and, of course, luck turned, and in a short time the cattleman had lost all his money, in- cluding the draft and money given him by Kite.
 Kite was dazed by his loss, but the cattleman came to his rescue and mag unanimously offered to buy ticket for him to take him to this city by steam CT. He did so, and it was not till Kite had told his story to a fellow passen- ger that he became aware of the fact that the cattleman was a confederate of the other bunko man.
 Kite arrived by the steamer Walla Walla Wednesday and registered at the New Western Hotel. He wired to his friends in Silverton to send him supply of funds as he was penniless, and yesterday morning reported the case at police headquarters.
 captain Bonen at once HotlIeu Ine local banks not to cash the $500 draft if presented for payment, and to at once telephone him If anyone should present it. He also instructed detec- tives Egan and T. B. Gibson to go around with Kite to see if he could lay his eyes upon the cattleman or the other bunko man.
 Tt is hard upon me- said Kite yes terday, "as it is necessary that I should have the operation performed at once and now I will have to wait till I get money from home, as they left me without a cent. I suppose they took me for a simple miner and thought I was an easy thing. We'll, I suppose they were not far wrong, but it will be a lesson for me for the rest of my life. If I could only get the draft for $500 it would not be so bad. but am afraid I will never see it again.