Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
PICKING UP EASY WEALTH

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! supposedly intelligent New York man
from $500. which the latter had inherited a
few days before Mr.. Moran absorbed 1t.
Moran-whose picture has long been in sun
dry and divers roguss' galleries-worked his
old dodge on the conf1ding New York man.
He told his victim to be that he was an ex-
pert telegrapher. and that he had means all
fixed whereby he would be enabled to tap
the wires leading into certain big New
York pool room, and get the results of the
! races ten or fifteen minutes in advance Of
for him to tip or the winners, and the
folks in with him on the deal could bet
their money In the pool room with the alb
| solute certainty of winning. The prospect
| was SO alluring that the New York chap
with the inherited $500 eagerly passed
over the money to the keeping OF the ire
pressible ''Chappie' Moran, as SO many
others had done before him. and now MIR.
Moran Is so distinctly and decidedly absent
from all the garish haunts that he had hith-
erto been tnfesting that the New York cops
| really don't know where to look for him.
The persuasive ''Chappie' Moran visited
| Washington couple Of years ago, when the
idea Of doing bit Of business here in his
peculiar line. Mr.: Moran, however, failed
| to make 1t stick" in Washington, to en-
| ploy the pavement phrase. and when he left
Washington for New York-where. after all.
gold bricks and green goods and other COM
modities Of that character are more easily
disposed of than in any other American city
he was an exceedingly irate and Disguised
| swtndler. For it Is a fact that far from
getting any credulous Washingtonian on his
| hook, MIR. Moran was made a butt of in
| really shameful and scandalous manner by
| a little coterie of Washington men of play
| full dispositions
extracting men in Washington knew all
| about "Chappie' Moran and his little dodge
for picking up easy wealth. and job was
put upon him. One of the racing chaps
n M n
pie"-no very difficult matter-and to gain
the bunco's man confidence after week or
so. Then Mr.. Moran. after sizing the Wash
| ington chap up AN easy mark to be
| used for bait, unfolded his scheme and
asked the Washington sport If he could
| dig up a good thing who would be al
lured by the fake overlapping scheme
to an extent that would induce him to- put
| a couple of thousands into 1t. The Wash
ington sport with an ox-eyed Innocence.
appeared TO grasp al the idea at once. espe-
| cially as "Chappie' Moran promised that
| there should be an equal division of the
! SPOTS. The Washington sport said in re-
| ply to "Chappie's" overtures that he had
the very man in mind. and that he would
| fetch him to Moran on the following even
| ing. Moran, who is a goed-looking, smooth
faced fellow, with shrewd gray eyes. al
ready saw quite bundle of easy money
in sight. and he renewed his promise to
| an equal division of the "rake-off," which
| appeared to please the Washington sport
| vastly.
|
man who had gained the fake wire tap
| per's confidence brought the prospective vic
| tim to Moran. The prospective victim hap
pened to be one of Washingtons cleverest
| and best-known young business men-but
| Mr.. Moran really couldn't have been ex-
| pected to know that
| Very eloquently and oleagnously did Mr.
| Moran set forth unto the wide-eyed young
business man 0he good thing" as Mr.. Mo-
| ran had it all figured ouD the nature of his
! scheme to get rich while you wait. The vic
| tim that was going to be according to Mr.
| Morans calculations) listened to ii all with
| mouth agape, and yet. when he had heard
all the details of the plan. he seemed to
hesitate some. This, however didn't bother
! Mr.. Moran any. He figured on a certain
| amount of natural hesitation on the part of
the victims he meditated plucking.
| He'll bite. all right" whispered the
Washington sport" who presented the
yong business man to "Chappie" Hes
| got slathers of money-coin to burn-but
you'll have to play him along bit. see?"
| ''Chappie" saw and he Immediately began
| that performance known among the sport
| TO mellow the prospective victim up some.
! The prospective victim and the sport
| who had brought him around drank the
| ''chappie's" juice of the grape with very
| great gusto, and when the evening wore
| away Moran had the victim-to-De's prom
| Use that there'd be wad of money to the
amount of $3.50 in evidence on the follow
| ing evening.
| The young Washington business man was
| on hand with the Washington sport on
| the following evening with bundle of
money of about the proportions of a healthy
| cantaloupe. but he evinced certain in
! determinate spirit when it came to the
matter of giving 1t up to 'Cnappie' to be
| played on a sure winner at a neghboring
pool room on the following day. The young
! man wanted to think it over a while longer.
he sad-although he hadn't doubt In life
that the scheme was al right and full of
possibilities for fabulous wealth, he added
Hon ding IL hap NJ - -
own cleverness at playing his fish, opened
| some more wine.
This little play went on for four evenings.
during which time Mr.. Moran had expended
| something like 800 for wine and cigars
| wherewith to refresh and regale the Wash
| ington sport who was acting as his cap
per''-not-and the young man with the
! large roll. On the fourth evening Mr. Mo-
| ran evinced certain signs of impatience.
| Say look here said he confidentially to
| the Washington sport and the young
man with the large moneys. we've got to
pull this thing off tomorrow, sure. I'm go
ing to New York tomorrow evening to pant
the stall and fix up the game for a Wall
street man who wants to go in with me
for $1,000 or $4,000. and, really. you know
that's an engagement I've got to keep"
! "Chappie" certainly was convincing sort
of a talker when he was in Washington,
and a real oily, suave person. too.
| Tomorrow, eh?' said the prospective
victim, all of sudden dropping his bucolic,
| good thing manner. What's your hurry
| .Chappie? You haven't half tried down here
| in Washington yet. you know. Why. say.
! there are fully four infants in arms in this
town that are not next to your scheme,
and it would be foolish on your part to pull
out Of here without trying the game on
those four. don't you think so? Have beer,
| 'Chappe'?
| Mr.. Moran, of course, perceived at once
that he had been trifed with in very rude
| way indeed; wherefore he became so angry
| and gave vent to so many saucy arks
| that the young Washington business man
| who had been sharing the fun with the
! Washington sport was impeiled to punch
| "Chappie's" countenance good and hard
| several times. Mr.. Moran departed for
| New York on the following morning with
| both of his eyes in heavy mourning and
| with rage in his soul for the capital city
| and all the residents thereof.
| All Of which Is interesting in view of the
| ease with which Mr.. Moran worked his lit
| tie $500 deal In New York recently. and
| in view also of the superior wisdom af-
| fected by New York men in all matters
| appertaining to the gentle art OF the bunco
| Steerer.
Direction of Lightning Flashes.
| From the New Orleans Times-Democrst
Ever since j was a boy" said one Of a
l of IN, hx,to