The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-10-11
UNsUCcEssFUL IN THIS CITY.
A TricIGster Who PurpOscly Falls Of
 Cars to Collect Damages.

Dunco SteererS, put Who operateS In such a way that he has thus far bafied all attempts to convict him of being a bunco steerer or any other similar crime, is at present in this city. He has thus far been unable to catch any of his expected victims unawares, and in consequence his visit here has not been a financial success. The fellow confines his operations principally to street railways. He carefully studies town in which he hopes to find per sons who will fall into his trap and knows thoroughly the time of the arriv- al of the various cars at their termi- nals. Then in manner which is as yet unexplained he manages to remove one or more screws from the hand rail on the rear platform of a car. He boards the car, but after riding a cer- tain distance he gets of the car and in doing so takes the hand rail with him or makes desperate effort to. Of course the conductor stops the car and if the man is badly injured calls a doc- tor, sends him to the hospital or other wise cares for him. He has made re- peated attempts to meet with an 'ac- cident" in this city. Last Thursday night a man boarded a car on the Fair Haven and Westville road at the cor ner of Chapel and Norton streets. He stood on the rear platform and rode to near East street. When he went to get off the car the hand rail seemed to give way with him and he fell to the ground, landing on his right arm and right side.
 The unsuspecting conductor assisted the supposedly injured man to his feet and offered to call for a doctor, if nec- essary. The fellow who gave his name as Charles Smith and residence as 27 | James street said that he was not bad | ly hurt and limped away in the direc- tion of Fair Haven. An examination of | the hand rail was made by the con- l ductor and it was found that one screw | fastening it on the car was missing and a second one hadly bent. Nothing un- | usual was thought of the occurrence, | and the conductor simply reported 1t | the same as he would any other acci- l dent. At the office of the street rail 1 way, however, different view of the case was taken. In recent issues of | the Street Railway Review, published | in Chicago, there have appeared pie lures of a fellow with a half dozen aliases and accounts of his operations in various parts of the country. This same method of operating was describ- ed and the officials of the road began to hunt for the fellow. On Saturday afternoon he was found on St. John street, near the New Haven Clock Co., s works with his supposedly injured right hand in his pants pocket and his coat pocket full of bandages. He ap- parently was not injured in the least, and was enjoying the best of health. In the evening the same fellow presented himself at the office of the Fair Haven and Westville road, and related the story of his accident" He exhibited some of his injuries. His right hand and arm were so tightly bandaged that they had turned purple and were swollen to almost twice the natural size He did not ask for certain amount of damages, but said that he knew the company would do the right thing by him. He refused to tell what doctor had attended him or where he worked This time he gave another address, stating that he lived at 47 St. John street.
 He received no encouragement at the office of the company and left without much ado. It has since been learned that there are no residences at either of the addresses given. Shepard's shop occupies the site at 27 James street, and the New Haven Clock Co s works are at AT St. John street.
 The fellow is still in town, as he was seen yesterday. As yet the best legal counsel in the city have been unable tc find any charge which may be placed against him, and it is quite probable that he will be allowed to go unmolest- ed. As no one saw him remove the screws from the hand rail he cannot be charged with malicious destruction ot property on which charge a man was held at Staten Island, but the circum- stances were entirely different, Ir that city the man supposed to be the one in this case, removed the screws with a small steel screw driver, after ward fell off the car, was injured and taken to a hospital.
 At Joliet, H., after similar accident an examination of the car showed that the handle bar had been tempered witf and as the fellow boarded the car al terminal, which was in a dark spot the weeds in the vicinity were searched and the screW-driver found. A warrant charging him with malicious mischief was filed against him. At the hospita
 the fe.. ow feigned to be severely in jured and remained in comatose cor. ditiG1 for some time. After the dis
 covery by the officials of the company the hospital surgeons were informed c1 the same and they tried several meth. ods by which to arouse the would be-
 injured man. They forced pins into tht mans arms, and drew surgeon knive:
 across his body without avail, but
 when they opened an eyelid and made
 a movement as if to run a needle into his eye he flinched and was thus found out. The culprit of culprits have oper
 ated under the names of John Miller August Krause, John Cramer and sev.
 eral others.
 In July last man met with likt accident" at Staten Island and gave
 the name of John Schaeffer.
 It has also been learned that a fellow