The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-21
PLENTY OFF CROOKS ON HAND.
Visiting Veterans Must BE Careful
Whom They Trust.

Visiting Veterans Must BE Careful
Whom They Trust.
The old vets who visit Savannah this
week want to keep their eyes open for
frauds and fakes. Savannah is going to
treat them right aud so will all her citi-
zens but there are a lot of newcomers
in town, who are here simply for what
they can make out of the crowds, and
who will have no seruples about getting
an honest dollar, even if they have to
get it by dishonest means
The Georgia reunion has been adver-
tised far and wide, and seems to have
attracted the attention of all the crooks
in this section AT least a dozen or two
"grafters'' came into Savannah last week,
thinking that the Knights of Pythias car
nival would attract a large crowd, in
which they would find easy geese 10 pluck.
Finding that the crowds In attendance
were purely local and that the police had
their eyes on them, most OF the fancy"
left town. A few are still here, and some
of them are so stylnh1y dressed that they
would easily be mistaken by strangers for
swells of the ultra fashionable set
private detective, who was al the Cen
trail depot yesterday morning, said that
on the Atlanta train were 'grafters" of all
degrees of crookedness. The detective
remembered having met some of them in
other cities, but having experience with
this class of people, it was not difficult for
him to single out the chaps who were look
ing for other peoples coin, whether he
had ever seen them before or not.
The statement of the detective was con-
firmed by the experience of a well-known
member of the Reunion Executive Com
fI7I, oil do n
welcome early arrivals A stalwart,
hearty-looking gray-haired man, who
had in some way ascertained that the Sa-
MAMMALIAN was a committeeman, came up
to him. and, introducing himself as Vet
Gran Smith, or, somebody else, from Dodge
county, requested the favor of a veter-
ans badge.
he had not been commissioned 10 give out
any badges, and would not give out one
If he had unless some better authority
was given. This did not phase the vet
eran'' in the least, who announced that
he expected room and board They did
that much for me in Atlanta" he said,
land 1 thought you fellows would do as
we'll"
my friend" replied Capt. Dillon, 'I am
not member of the Entertainment Com
mittee, and besides we are not furnishing
free board, any way. | am afraid you
will be disappointed"
The veteran acknowledged that he was
disappointed. He said that he had OK
pended all his money in reaching Savan-
nah and that he fully expected to be taxi
en- care of while here. He incidentally re-
marked that he had attended reunions at
Charleston and elsewhere on the same ba-
sis Capt. Dillon sized the man up Al
shrewd confidence worker, who wanted 20
get a veterans badge in order TO better in
gratiate himself with the visiting veter-
ans and obtain some of their coin. Incl
dentally he had no objections to having
his expenses borne by the local veterans
while working their friends from dis
lance. The police detectives have been
keeping a watchful eye upon the crowds
at the Midway Carnival, as they have
regarded the Midway as sort of rally
ing ground for the crooks. The detectives
are now keeping watch on incoming trains
for the purpose of spotting crooks who. US
ually have the unmistakable earmarks of
their calling about them.