The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-17

Buffalo, N. Y.
the police If they are alive to-day.
This is how it happened.
"As 1 was one of the confidential
men connected with McNally 1 was
generally sent after big fish. We re-
ceived a wire from Indiana stating
that one of our prospective customers
desired to invest $1,000. Seeming some
thing good. 1 was sent after him.
mo sucker was ever brought d.
rectly into the city. He was instruct
ed to go to some town within easy dis
lance of New York. This
seem desirable the steerer could
drop him and he would never see the
goods.
This particular sucker was instruct
ed to go to a hotel at Long Branch
Because of the amount he wished to
invest we figured out that he was a
business man of genteel appearance. I
went early to Long Branch, in fact, a
day before he was due, so that I would
not by any chance miss him, and to
head off a certain class of people we
called cheaters, who followed the bust
ness of stealing suckers. That is, they
never sent out any mail of their
own, but received information from
traitors in our own camp, which some
times enabled them to get to destina-
ton of the sucker and sWindle him be-
fore the regular steerer came along.
Our friend from Indiana arrived on
time, but when I went up to his room,
prepared to meet a gentleman, what
was my surprise to see there two raw
boned Swedes, dressed in their work
ing clothes I was able to get very
little information from them. They
spoke very broken English, and the
burden of their conversation was:
Have you got the money with you?
'Suspecting something was wrong, I
brought them to New York and plant
ed them in a cheap hotel. 1 then
sought my people and explained things
to them, adding that the trick didn't
look right. But after talking the mat
ter over we decided to take chances,
and was instructed to bring them
to the joint which I did.
1--WE made the usual play; the bank
roll was all spread out on the desk,
$4,000 of it, and Walter was going
along in his sing-song voice, describing
the merits of the goods and descanting
on the best way to get rid OF them,
how to make them look old, etc.
Il was watching our two prospec-
tive victims, as l was convinced that
their movements BODIED no good to the
bankroll. They were watching me and
Walter alternately.
Suddenly each man drew both
hands from his outside coat pockets
and attempted to throw red pepper in
our eyes. l saw the movement, and
instinctively threw my hands out to
grab what 1 expected to be a gun.
My hands struck those of the man
nearest to me, and the red pepper was
dashed back in his eyes.
But Walter was not so fortunate.
He received goodly portion in both
eyes. Walter and my man were howl
ing with pain. The Swede who threw
the pepper at Walter made a dash to
gather up the money spread upon the
desk, but l was upon him too soon. l
drew my gun and placed the muzzle
against his head, but, fortunately, it
missed fire. l then hurled the weap-
on with all my strength full in his
face.
I'm the meantime Scar-faced Jack,
who was doing the ringing. rushed in
from the back room and fired his re-
volver at one of the Swedes. The shot
brought a crowd to the door in a sec
ond. 1 shouted to him to get away,
through the rear with the bankroll.
He swept it into a waste basket and
vanished over back fences, losing over
$500 on the way.
"In a second the door was broken
open and four or five citizens with
three policemen dashed in, while a
crowd blocked the street. Here is
where our quick wit saved us.
81 remembered there was a pack of
cards in the desk, with which we used
to play poker to while away the time
when things were slack. Hastily Sc
curing these. l dropped them on the
floor.
THE policemen, with drawn revolv-
ers, demanded to know the trouble.
With a hasty glance at the cards and
a few bills lying on the floor, 1 ex-
planned we had been playing seven-up
for a few dollars and the game broke
up in a fight. Walter, who was not
badly injured, took up the cue; the
Swedes were too scared to speak at
ALL and the way Walter and 1 kept
firing con stories into those coppers
was a caution.
I'm the meantime Scar-face Jack had
got away to headquarters with the
bank roll, and McNally, always quick
witted, rushed to the joint. Taking in
the situation from what he heard as
he worked his way to where we stood
in A little group, he dashed up to the
policemen and, apparently excited, ex-
claimed, pointing to the two trembling
Swedes:
"'Oficers, these two men are my
friends, and they have been robbed
at cards by these two men, pointing
at Walter and me.
"The poor Swedes were too scared
To speak and stood trembling in a cor
ner At McNally's denunciation the
corners turned their attention to Wal
ter and me- In the meantime McNally
took advantage of the excitement and
hustled the two Swedes away In a CAP
drove them to the railroad station ana
shipped them home, having TO pay
their fares, as they had ABOUT %
t~een them. They had planned TO get
The hank roll and go 70 Sweden with
n This they confded to McNally. who
assured them he Was detective and
would send for them when our trial
came M. ,..t..A ar, o.yer