The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-04
GRAFTERS IN DROvES
FLOCKING IN TO DO THE STATE
FAIR.
HOW THEY MAKE MONEY.
SHORT CHANGE GAME THEIR FAv-
ORITE STUNT.


Money CleverIy Say That the
Chance of Arrest Is Reduced to "a
Minimum-This Probably Makes
This Form of Grating the Most
POpuIar-Short Change Artist Who
Paid Circus for Privilege of Sell
ing TicJkets-The Men in Savannah
Now Are Not Really Dangerous.
Guns PicIxpoekets Are Those
for Whom the Men in Plain
Clothes Are Looking.
An unusually large number of
grafters, fakirs, touts and others of
like proclivities. have arrived in Sa-
vannah for the purpose of doing the
State Fair. That is, they are here to
take in the sights, and incidentally to
add to their worldly possessions when
ever an opportunity arises.
1t is estimated that there are at
least 200 who comes under the general
head of CRATER in the city at this
times, but none of them are considered
really dangerous, and have not been
bothered by the police. They are not
vicious and in the majority of cases
would not use a Sandbag if any one
CHANGED to be looking. These people
are really harmless if let alone and it
is only when some unsophisticated in
dividual thinks that he can best the
man at his own game that money
changes hands and howl is made.
While many of them are well versed
in all the tricks of their trade, and
could pick pocket if they tried, they
do not resort to such tactics, unless
forced by necessity. There are no gen.
uine guns in the city at this time, al
though it is probable that some few
during the Fair. A gun doesn't lose
time with old tricks, but goes in at
once for pockets. He finds it easier,
more profitable and less risky. 1t is
for these individuals that the police
and detectives are. keeping their eyes
open.
According to the best informed
sports the word CRATER covers several
kinds of people, and may be correctly
applied to any man who obtains his
money by chicanery, or without really
earning it. More strictly speaking, the
CRATER is the man who lives by his
wits, but who has no regular line. He
is an all around hustler, and every
thing goes with him. The twist of a
marked card, the manipulating of the
slippery little rubber ball under the
SHE'LL or the short change racket are
alike to him. The latter game seems to
be the fayorite at this time.
That short change gag is easy
money. It's my Prince Albert said a
CRATER who was in Savannah recent
ly. The man declared that more
money can be made without danger
of arrest by the short change act than
by any three gaines on the list. A
mistake in making change is no UNI
usual thing, and the man who has
got it down to a science has an easy
way of making a living, according to
those in the business.
One of them relates that several
years ago certain circus received
salary from a man who sold tickets
for the aggregation. In place of draw
ing money from the circus people he
paid them a snug sum for the privi
lege of selling tickets. 1t is stated
that the ticket seller had a good thing
out of his place for two seasons and
that he made a comfortable salary by
short changing.
Some of those who lead a butterfly
SAlSlCHCe, uul WHO D6lleVe III giving Il
man little run for his money or else
Draining him with a club, say that the.
grafters are not all to the bad, AID
| have a few good points in their make
up. They claim that the CRATER can
get hold % money that no one else
could touch, and that they start ii 10
circulation again. 1t is said thai most
of the victims of these people, that is.
when some game is used, are persons
who hold to a dollar until the eagle
| screams. and that they go in with their
eyes wide open, thinking that they are
| smart enough to beat the man whose
business it is to skin and whose stock
in trade is shrewdness.
The man who gets hold of his money
with so little trouble, it is claimed by
those who know, spends it with as lit
tie difficulty and puts more coin in cir
culation, While the CRATER is not
afraid Of man in uniform, a fly COP
usually causes him to throw fit He
shuns the man in plain clothes as he
would a viper and is always in mortal
dread of being tapped on the shoulder.
More than one CRATER who has been
arrested in Savannah as a suspicious
character has cried like a babe when
taken in charge by a man in plain
clothes, as they express it. The graft
er loses his nerve in TIE presence of a
detective, where he would throw front
and probably convince a man in uni
form that he was a retired capitalist
Supt. Reilly has issued instructions to
his plain clothes men, and they will
watch the strangers closely during the
Fair.