The Washington times., 1901-11-03
WORKING OLD TRICKS.
suindIers and Confidence Men In
vent Little That's New.

The professional swindler doesn't be-
lieve there has to he anything new under
the sun Tricks which have been told OF
in the newspapers for twenty years and
more are still worked with the greatest
success every day.
The old pocket-book game is still work
and in the same manner that it was when
it was first invented. A stranger walk
ing along the street sees a man in front
Of him suddenly stoop and pick up pock-
etbook. The man opens the pocketbook
and discloses a fat roll of greenbacke
We'll, WELL" says the man, somebody
will be glad to get this pocketbook back
and will probably pay a handsome re-
ward. l am going out of the city and 1
don't know how / shall be able to return
this property"
The stranger, who has seen with en-
vious eyes the picking up of the pocket
book, Immediately offers to return the
lost property and save the finder any
trouble on that score.
The finder reluctantly consents, and
then says: "Well, there will probably be
a reward of $50 at least, and it would BE-
only fair for each of us TO receive half.
You give me sis as my reward for finding
the pocketbook and then, of course. you'll
get it back. as well as your own reward.
when you return the pocketbook to the
owner" The stranger eagerly consents
TO this. Inwardly, the stranger may have
decided that he will not return the
pocketboOk at all. He wants to
take the SI5 that goes to the
finder out of the sum contained in the
pocketboOk itself, but the man who pick
ed up the pocketbook says earnestly that
its contents must not be trihed with; that
IL must be returned to the owner intact.
The man from the country sees the
force of this remark. and while he has his
own ideas as TO whether or not he Will
return the pOcketbook intact, he pro-
nf hi
TO the finder of the pocketbook, who i'm
mediately disappears. When the pocket
book is examined after while IT Is found
to be nicely filled with counterfeit bills.
Tramps often dispose Of fake jewelry in
an old way. The tramp makes his victim
believe that the tewelry W. stolen, and
that il INSlst, therefore, be disposed of by
the tramp at a great sacrifice in order
that he should be rid of il. The victim
thinks he sees in the trar,ps extremity
his opportunity, and ne Buys the fake
jewelry at a good fair sum, considering
what the tramp paid for i
A tramp who decides to sell pony
jewelry will buy six diamond rings for
81 at some dC"lCr in Imitation jewelry in
the large cities lie will take one of these
rings and wrap ii carefully up in an old
bandanna handkerchief, and when he
finds "A victim ne tows him down to some
sequestered place and in awful secrecy
takes out the ring and informs the pros
pective purchaser that the ring Is worth
SIS or 500
Where did you get II! asks the VIC
tim suspiciously.
Never mind where / got it, answers
the tramp. II got II all right, but | got
ter git it often my possession. Dey're a
watchin' fer me- You can give 1t back
and git the reward if you want ter er
yer can take the set out and put 1t in
another ring. ! don't care what YOU do
with IT, / got to git rid of de ring. |
know that and you can have II fer $40
The yIctim finally buys the ring for IS
and keeps IL hidden until some day he
goes to a ieweler and asks the value of
| the purchase.
swers the jeweler. How much did you
| pay?"
| The victim fades away without another
| word.-St. Louis Star.