The morning news., 1899-11-13
DESCENT OF THE FAIxIRs.
They Are Coming to the City and
Four Arrested at ThunderbOlt.


-Four Arrested at ThunderbOIt.
Preparatory 10 the gathering of tine peo-
pie of the state in Savannah at the re-
union of the Georgia Division of United
Confederate Veterans, the fakirs are de-
scending on the city. -Four Of them were
arrested at Thunderbolt yesterday, and
are held at the station fouse, preliminary
to an urgent request that will be made
them that they leave Savannah.
The arrests were made by City Detec-
tives Barrett and Shea. Long experience
in such matters has taught the detectives
the earmarks Of the confirmed rogue and
they had little difficulty in picking out
these gentry from the miscellaneous as
sortment of human odds and ends that
are wont to gather at ThunderbOt. They
he'd not yet begun to practice their wiles
and the arrests We're matters of precau-
ton merely. The ways that are dark
and the tricks that are vain" were ex-
pected to come after the arrival in Sa-
vannah of a more gullible portion of the
population than is usually found in cities.
Heading the gang that was nabbed is the
noted and notorious ST Perkins. When he
is made up for his business Perkins is in
appearance the most Verdant countTyman
that ever came down the pike. His hair
and beard are redolent of hayseed and his
conversation is confined TO the relative
merits of certain kinds of horses and cat
tie. He wanders occasionally into an en-
thuslastic eulogy upon a form of plow ana
in general seeks to create the impression
thit he is just from the deeply wooded in
terror of the state and has left the cid
farm only a day or two before. quite
commonly he succeeds.
fe of -.
programme that the gang follows to have
81 attract a crowd of the idly curious. by
some of his innocent Wiles and then pro-
ceed to get the best of its members. 81
also plays the part of the lucky one in
what the sporting fraternity are wont to
term the "shell game" in which the neces-
sary implements are three half shells of
wanuts and pea This old game has
been worked so much, so often and so long,
that it is strange that weak human nature
still find an attraction in it, 1t may pos
sibly be that it is an exemplifcation and
a proof of the saying of Mr. Barnum, that
"the American people like 10 be hum
bugged.
The police have received strict injunc-
tions to keep their eyes open for fakirs
such as ST Perkins and his companions.
Until they have committed some overt act
of crime it is impossible, of course, to pun
ish them, but il is quite easy to arrest
them and request that they leave the city
If they must dupe the innocent public, the
Savannah police think 1t is better for the
city that they practice their artful wiles
in some other section of the country or
the state. To-day the bunch of four will
be asked to shake the dust of Savannah
from their feet and not 10 return until all
the present force Of police and detectives
are dead or have forgotten how they look
If they come back earlier than this, it is
altogether likely that they will get them
selves into trouble.
Such a congregation of persons as will be
produced by the Confederate Reunion is a
mark for the fakirs. They come TO these
celebrations in large numbers, confident
that the average of intelligence among the
mass of those attending will not be too
high 10 bar their getting in their fine work
The gentry practice everything in the fine
of confirmed roguery, from the she'll game
to picking pockets, and are usually sue
cessful at ii all. 1t was unfortunate for
Perkins and his friends that they attract
ed the attention of Detectives Barrett and
Shea but it was one Of the best pieces of
unknown good luck that viii beIan the
prospective visitors to Savannah.
Perkins is said 10 have been in the bus
mess for many years, achieving almost in
variable success. Such little set-backs as
a request TO leave a particular territory
and the preceding confinement he accepts
as incidental 10 his profession and quite
as a matter of course. They worry or an
noy him not at an. If the police of one
city object TO his presence, he doubtless
knows others where they are more COM
plaisant. With a nod and a smile he is
wont TO acknowledge that the police have
called his bluff aud he bestows on them a
cheerful promise to get the better of them
at some time in the future.