The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-19
SWINDLERS AT THE FAIRS.

| leeches ON the pocketboOks OF the un-
| Wary-the fakirs and thimble-rigging
! gamesters-have been more plentiful
| than ever at nearly all the agricultural
fairs this season, from the New Eng
| land down to the smallest gatherings
i'm the country towns. It comes 10 be
more and more a wonder how so many
OF these fellows thrive on the softness
of people who ought 10 know better.
| Down at Danbury the men with games
were more plentiful than toads after
a summer shower.
| Those people are, of course not sup
| posed TO be tolerated by fair managers.
| but they exist all the same. and usually
! claim that they pay for their privileges.
In any event they are a nuisance,
| moving from corner TO corner of the
| grounds whenever danger seems mmi-
nent. always sure to be followed by the
! "greenies." who can see sure thing
! ahead and are confident they can beat
! the manipulator of the game I'm his own
! trick.
At Danbury man who had the APP
went up against a game to the extent
Of $125, then started away, remarking
| that he would "be back directly with
, more money" He returned with a po-
| liceman, but a capper had sent i'm a
| note of warning so that only few dol
lars We're left on the table. the men
having moved To other pastures green
| before the policeman arrived. one or
IN N ~
more than s1,700 to a Hartford man
whom he knew, being the result of his
business i'm the three days of the fair
| then expiring, and he had started in
| with less than a dozen dollars.
Some OF the boys who were down at
| the New England fair tell good story
! about one OF their hotel companions.
He had been down the day before and
| while he never went up against any OF
| the games he became interested In
| watching fellow who was managing a
| shell game. The outfit consisted of a
| small board which he carried on his
| left arm, three small shells resembling
| halves of an English walnut and the
| deceptive little midget whose where
| abouts under the shell had depleted so
many pocketbooks. The Hartford man
| had watched the fellows manipulation
until he was positive he was "on TO
him." but he was anxious for the boys
up at the hotel to see him do up the
| shell man, so .he waited till the next
| afternoon, then invited the party down
| after informing them what he was up
| to. They advised him to let the thing
| alone but he would not have IL, so all
| hands went along. They had no trouble
| in picking their man out from among
the small regiment of his kind that
were lettering about the grounds. One
| of his cappers had Just won out stake
| so as to keep up the interest. Who's
| the next lucky man." queried the man.
| ipulator. I'm I'm hard luck, but III
| stand II little longer as he continued
| to move the shell about in a hide-and-
seek play with the midget AS he
paused for a moment the Hartford man
| who had a dead sure thing remarked:
| "Tll chance 500 that l can locate the
| button" "Oh. come off, now, replied
| the manipulator; you've been hanging
around me for two days and Of course
you are on TO me. | want a halfway
show for my money" lie expected the
Hartford man would raise his ante
then, but he simply repeated his offer
and called the manipulation. well.
l shall have TO go you, but | wish 1t
was $780, he replied with an effort at
reluctance The Hartford man had al
ready put his index finger on the shell
where he knew the button was, The
man lifted it--and as usual there was
nothing under II! The overconident
man took the boys back to the hotel.
and Il cost him round sum to swear
them To secrecy.
Perhaps the most amusing thing in
this line happened over at Cherry Park.
The exercises OF the day were over and
the crowd was leaving. Several Hart
ford men were moving along i'm a group
when one of those left-arm merchants
sauntered along, tossing the shells
about as he walked, the while reciting
his piece. Suddenly one of the Hart
ford men broke from the party, con-
VulsiVely placed his right hand on one OF
the shells and nervously struggled for
his pocketbook, explaining that he
would bet the fellow S.. lie was so
excited that the manipulation suggested
TO him not 10 hurry-"there is time
enough" Finally he fshed out his
wallet. opened il with his teeth and
asked one OF his companions To take
out s.. which he placed on the board.
sim nervously holding the shell down.
When the fellow lifted the shell and
there was nothing under 10 the conf
dent mans face elongated half a foot.
At the Windsor meeting recently
poor fellow who had been working all
the summer on a farm and had accu-
mulated $50 dropped every dollar on
this same game
over at Rockville Hartford mer-
chant was foolish enough to give his
check for St2s on one OF these games.
a very funny incident connected with
the shell game happened at Danbury.
The managers OF these alluring oppor-
tunities for speculation usually employ
"cappers. who plank down their money
occasionally and as often win, thus
Keeping interest agog. These are usu-
ally not professionals. but are hired for
the occasion. others being substituted
subsequent days so that they may not
be recognized. One OF these Cappers
happened around the second day.
plankcd his money. won Sl2 and lett
The man at the helm was SO preoccu-
pied with business that he forgot that
the man was not in his employ that
day. and let him win purposely
These are only incidents mentioned TO-
show the perniciousness ~ the business.
There are plenty 90 cases that might
be- cited. all going to show the neces-
sity FOR stricter oversight on the part
~ the association officers To- the end
that the rascals be kept away.-Hart-
ford -ptIraul