Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-11
BRACE OF SMOOTH SWINDLERS
Farmer and Wood Dealer Taken in by Un-
priDoipled Persons.
GET LITTLE IN RETURN BUT EXPERIENCE
Tim Murphy is Worked for n Lond
of Potatoes and wood Dealer
Hamilton is Queercd by
Old Trick.

Tim Murphy, a farmer living a few miles
from the CITY, and John Hamilton, the pro-
prietor OF a wood yard at Broadway and
Seventh streets. were the victims yesterday
OF confidence men. Murphy suffered the loss
of fifty bushels of potatoes. while Hamilton
! is out s6 cash and the trouble of sending a
load Of cordwood to bogus address.
Murphy. to use a commercial expression
got stalled on the market yesterday morn
ing and was unable to secure the price he
| asked for his potatoes He wanted something
over 20 cents per bushel which was the pre-
vailng quotation on the market yesterday
morning, and refused to sell his load at this
figure. He is now sorry that he did not. He
was on the point of driving home again with
his load unsold when he was approached by
man who introduced himself as Dan Will
liams. Dan asked Murphy how much he
wanted for the potatoes, and the latter told
him.
Il can get 25 cents a bushel for them IL
you will give me cents on each bushe for
carrying them in said Williams "Begorra,
indade will, and be glad to- replied Muir
ply, and the bargain was struck there and
then.
Williams proved as good as his word at
least as far as disposing of the potatoes
went, and in half an hour the fifty bushels
had been sold to four different parties. Will
liams in each case carried in the potatoes
according to the agreement and, at his sug-
gestion, Murphy deferred collecting for them
until the whole load was sold. When this
was accomplished Williams said he would get
his buggy and drive Murphy round and they
would collect the money. Williams left to
fetch his buggy and Murphy has not seen
him since. He failed to return and Murphy
became tired of waiting, so went to collect
the money for his potatoes himself. At each
place he found that Williams had been ahead
Of him and secured the money At two
places he learned that Williams had COL
lected the price of the spuds when he car
ried them in.
Murphy at once repaired to the city, where
he poured forth his tale of woe in rich Hi
bsrnan into the sympathetic ears of City
Clerk Phillips, who advised him to swear out
an information against Williams The last
seen of Farmer Murphy he was vending his
way in search Of a justice of the peace.
Hamilton, the veteran vendor of cordwood
was taken in by time-worn trick. man
giving his name as James Blake and his res
idence 815 Fifth avenue, purchased cord of
wood and ordered it delivered at his house
The price Of the wood was Sc, and in pay
ment he rendered a check on the First Ma
tonal bank of this city for $40, drawn by
John Burke in favor Of James Blake. Ham
ilton was fortunately not very flush with
change, but gave his customer $8 in cash and
! agreed to leave the balance of $6 with Blake's
wife when the wood would be delivered.
This was satisfactory to Blake.
The wood was sent to the address given by
Blake and part of it had been unloaded on
the sidewalk in front Of the house when
woman came out and asked who the wood
was for. For Mrs. James Blake" replied
the driver, and he was much astonished to
learn that nobody of the name of Blake
lived there. He was correspondingy mad
when he found he had to load 1t up again and
drive back to the yard. When Hamilton
heard of it from his driver he at once took
the check to the bank, only to find it was
forgery pure and simple and not even worth
the paper it was written on. He promptly
reported the matter to the police, but so far
trace of Mr.. Blake and, what is more, they
man apparently 35 years of age and looked
like an ordinary working man.
The police received word last night that
man giving the same name as the in
dividual who worked Hamilton played a
similar game on George Sherwood, foreman
of the Christie coal yards in South Omaha,
Thursday afternoon. At South Omaha he
gave a check for 500 drawn on the Stock
Yards National bank. signed by John Burke
and made payable to James Blake. From
ordering a ton Of coal sent to fictitious
address.
Fine Missouri Wood for sale by Gilbert