The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-17
HENRY TUCKLEY
BILL SMITH CAME TO TINE.

! How Two Sharpers Got the Better of a
Third in a Confidence Game.
The slickest confidence man that
ever perambulated down the pike was
in Memphis last week and did some
smooth business of the bunco variety,
according to Patrolman Pat Koran,
that makes the clumsy Memphis meth
cd pale into insisnifcance. officer Ho-
ran refuses to give names, but he
says that the victim in the case was a
king-be Memphis con. man who thinks
he is more than two or three and
who happened to be out looking for
/ hayseeds.
! The con. man dropped into a certain
hotel in Memphis to lay for fish
and had gotten himself up to pass for a
commercial traveller. He was soon
spotted by the slick one" who
seemed to have a lofty scorn for the
innocent "Rubes" and loved to make
monkeys out of the swell head frauds
who think they know it all Not long
after the slick lone" spotted the Mem
phis shark hayseed RUDE of the most
Misunderstanding type came into the
hotel lobby and glared through his
spectacles al the men sitting around.
Failing to see the face he was looking
for the old RUDE stood a moment In the
center of the floor and then walked
over to the clerks desk He took d
long range chance at the cuspidor and
missed, and then, addressing the clerk,
asked: Has Bill Smith been here
looking for me?"
The clerk looked up and, seeing a
chance fer some fun, began to humor
the old man.
The Memphis shark grew interested
and drew near. Soon the whole hotel
knew the old mans story. Bill Smith
was stranger he had met in the
morning who had borrowed fifty dol
lars from him to pay freight bill,
promising to meet RUDE at the hotel
and pay it back. RUDE was certain he
would be in soon, because it was now
past the appointed time.
The old mans apparent innocence
amused the crowd and he was advised
to go on and forget Bill Smith, as he
would never see Bill any more The
old man replied good humoredly that
he guessed he would wait awhile for
Bill, and, winking at the crowd, he
pulled out a well filed wallet with the
remark that he had plenty left II Bill
should go back on his word.
The eyes Of the Memphis shark glis-
tened at sight of the wallet, and APP
preaching Rube he began to manifest
the tenderest sympathy in his case and
assured him that Bill Smith was
rascally thief and that the town was
full of such sharks.
Rube grew nervous under the repeat
ed filings at his friend Bill Smith and
in his excitement pulled his money and
swore he would bet every dollar Of it
on Smiths honesty.
We'll" said the Memphis shark,
TN just bet YOU fifty dollars that
Smith don't show up with your mon
ey."
Reuben took the bet and with trem-
bling fingers, pulled out the fifty and
the stakes were put in the hands Of the
clerk.
After this Rube grew silent and ner-
vously paced UP and down the lobby.
Presently, as RUDE was standing some
distance from the desk, pensively roll
ing his quid and gazing through the
skylight, smartly dressed man
walked briskly through the door and
up to the clerks desk, cycling the by
ISLANDERS critically as he passed Seiz-
ing a pen he rapidly wrote on the reg
ister William j. Smith, Hushpucka-
ma, Miss"
AS he was writing RUDE had once
more advanced toward the desk and
seeing the form at the counter, he
STROBE eagerly forward, peered into the
face of the new conner, and, shaping
him on the back, exclaimed, by COST,
if it amt Bill Smith at last"
The rest Of the story was simple.
Smith recognized Rube thanked him
for the lean and Immediately pulled out
his purse and paid over the promised
fifty he had borrowed.
The Memphis shark turned pale as
Rube claimed the wager, but it had to
go. Later the Memphis shark got
little note advising him that RUDE
thanked him for the little donation, and
advised him to try the trick on some of
his fellow sharks and play for even.-
Memphis Commercial Appeal.