The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-17
CAUGHT ON LDCAME
RURAL VISITOR Is BENGoED OUT
OF $50 ON SIBLEY
STREET
TRICK CLUMSY BUT WORKED
Arrested by Omitted States Detect
iye,. Who Took All His Money
as Security, While Stranger
Returned to Depot.

The old saying that "a sucker is born
every minute" is as true today as it
ever was, the only difference being that
the sucker no longer delights in
heralding the fact of his ''puneoing'' to
the world.
1t would almost seem that some people
come to the cities for the sole and ex-
press purpose of encouraging the bua1co
man. A striking case of this kind ee-
CURED yesterday. A TALL kindly looking
m1ddle-aged man arrived in the city
from a near by rural community walked
quietly through the depot and turned up
Slbley street. He had not gone very
far when he was accosted by another
gentleman of rural type who asked him
to point out a certain place for which
he was looking. The new arrival re-
marked that he was stranger in the
city. why, so am L. said the other.
They chatted a few moments when the
"other" incidentally remarked that he
was originally from the very town from
which the new arrival came. 1t turned
| out that they had many mutual friends in
that town, and they became unusually
chummy. "Have you seen the great
painting of McKinley's assassination"
remarked the new found friend of the
rural visitor, and upon receiving mega
tive reply he suggested that they go up
and see it, to which the new arrival
readily consented. On their way up the
street they met a third stranger IN the:
city, who was also looking for direc-
lions, and the three struck up CONVEX
sa ton on the street corner. During the
conversation the the street corner Dur
ing the conversation the first found friend
of the stranger accidentally dropped lit
tie 1ocket on the sidewalk and upon pick
ing it up he observed to the newest men,
Der of the trio that this was peculiar
II
friend could not open it. The bet was
made and the rural visitor was forced
to hold the money as stakeholder.
Hardly had he taken possession of the
money when a United States detective
SWooped down upon the party and, flash
ing a, star, arrested them all for gamb-
ling on the public highway. The rural
visitor explained that he was an lnno-
cent spectator, but the defective would
not listen. He also explained that he
had friend waiting for him at the
depot, and the detective said that if he
handed over his money as security he
might return to the depot while the Of
hcer was taking the other two men to the
station, after which he would come for
the stranger. The visitor aecordiney
passed over sS5 in bills and departed TO
IND his friend at the depot He was
warned by the detective NOT to fell anv
detective failed to show up the stranger
went to the telephone in the depot to
call up the chief of police and he was
at once questioned by the depot men as
to what he wanted, and they finally drew
his story from him. He was assured that
he might make his mind easy so far as
any fear of arrest was concerned. but
they could offer him no hope that he
would again see his sS5. The man did
not appear to greatly mourn his loss, but
treated it as an experience worth relating
! to his friends at home. He said: ''The
two men told me they We're attending a
Methodist conference here. and 1 thought
Z it strange that members of the Methodist
church should bet on the street, but [
never got it into my cad that anything
was wrong about this business" he said
to the sdepot master. He took it good
naturally when told that there was no
prospect Of recovering his money, as the
touch was not made in any build
ing, but out in the open, and the men
had made themselves scarce.