The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-23
HE BOUGHT THE BRICK.
a Conadenee Game That REfaaaHrlet
and tha Intended Vfctsn
Came Out Ahead.

Jeremiah Harding lives on the
West side with several hundred thou
sand other people, doesn't pretend to
be smart, is law-abiding, but has
never been indicted for 1t, and yet he
practically sold a confidence man his
own gold brick, says the Chicago
Times-Herald.
Jerry doesn't need any pointers 81
transactions where money is one Of
the active ingredients, for he came by
them naturally, but the confidence
mar didn't know it. In some way
the latter learned the dimensions Of
Mr.. Harding's deposit at the bank
and after careful calculations with a
range-finder thought the transfer to
his own depleted hoard as good a1
made.
When business-liIze, although
clerical-loOking middle-aged man,
neatly dressed, called upon Jerry at
his grocery one day recently solicit
ing money for the Society for the
Propagation Of Mendacious Peripa-
tetics, Jerry warmed to him at once,
promised to think it over had him
stay to the noon dinner, and trotted
out the hard cider.
Now, Jerry rather smelIed q rat, al
though his conscience hurt him for
mistrusting the eloquent missionary,
but it recovered from the attack when
the visitor, after handing out lots OF
information about Cape Nome, where
arctic oceans come from, said his
brother had sent him several thou
sand dollars worth of gold dust,
which he had transformed into a per-
allelopiped, but, needing cash, de-
sired Jeremiah, as business man, to
advise him.
"sell the thing to a circus" said
Jerry.
The stranger threw pitying
smile upon his host, and then ex-
planned that the gold had been east
into a brick-shaped mass, adding:
There's $7,5O6 worth Of gold in it,
but I'll take $500 ready money"
just the magnitude Of Jerry's bank
deposit. 1t was strange eoinci-
dence.
Jeremiah asked to see the brick.
but it was down-town; he would not
care to endanger its safety by lug
ging it around, nor would he ask
Jerry to buy. Perhaps some bank
was in need Of it.
II can have It tested, I suppose 2
inquired the groceryman.
Certainly, responded the mission
ary; wen go to the government as.
say. Office and it will be tried by the
assayer in your presence"
So Jeremiah agreed to meet the
missionary at the bank Thursday
morning, and both were on time, the
stranger with brick in his satchel
large enough to accommodate a hOd.
load. Jerry caught on to this at once
said nothing, drew $4,000 in ten $500
and two $1OO bills, stuffed them care.
lessly into his pocket, took chew OF
black tobacco, and then left the bank
with the Missionary.
The brick was tested at a jewelers.
and being pronounced pure in heart
and of good financial standing, Jerry,
putting it in his pocket, accompanied
the missionary to Van BUren street
hotel to complete the transaction. 1t
was evident the good man was dis
turbed, and limited two or three
times regarding the danger of carry
ing SO precious a burden in ones
clothes, but jerry merely remarked:
I'D like to see some one take this
from me. If he does he can have
it,"
1t was rather queer that the re-
ligioUs mans room smelled of smoke
and liquor, but Jerry said nothing.
The missionary stood aside to let Jerry
enter first, but the latter pushed the
other ahead, and into the apartment,
and merely crossing the threshold,
with the open door at his back, the
groceryman drew his money from his
pocket and thrust the roll into the
crooks hand.
init" shouted the confidence man
quite unclerically. "Come here, Jim. ="
The missionary, dropping the satch-
ell, was about to reach for revolver,
when he found a glistening barrel
showed under his nose. He could see
all the consultations through it, for
it was apparently the size of the Yer
les telescope. The hand of the man
behind the gun didn't tremble a
bit.
Obedient to call, the confederate
emerged from behind a curtain in a
dark corner of the room, and run
ing forward was about TO rush
Jerry, when the latter coolly re-
marked: 'I'n kill the missionary if
you move an inch further, and then
I'll kill you. / won't even let you
change bricks on me"
Jerry locked the brick, which. was
really worth $500, in a safety de-
posit vault,
When the missionary counted over
the bills Jerry had given him, he
found they were built Of stage money,
for the groceryman had fixed it with
the paying teller of the bank