Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-08-23
GRAFTERS ARE
STILL OPERATING
Ancient Envelope Trick" Being
Worked Quite Successfully
SALOON MEN THE VICTIMS,
No Less Than Three Are Now Kicking
Themselves for Their Extreme
FooIishness How IT'S Done.

The old and time worn Envelope
Trick" Is being worked In Salt Lake
by couple Of smooth grafters. and
with considerable success. too, Their
victims are saloon men, and to date
three touches are known to have
been made, and II is more than likely
that there are many more. No doubt
the reason many have not been reported
is the fact that the victims of this aged
graft do not care to advertise them
selves as fit subjects for the daft house
One Second South saloon man was
duped out Of a $40 bin yesterday, an.
other out of $40 and yesterday morning
Joe Vlncelli, who runs the saloon south
OF the alley leading into the city lad
yard, was robbed Of $40, and now he Is
ilguratively Kicking himself for being
such an easy mark
The game the grafters worked on
Nincelli was the same as on the other
saloon men, Yesterday morning a
stranger entered the thirst pal'lor. and
requested the bartender 10 change
$40 bill The bartender obigingly made
the change, and as he was about TO
place the bill In the cash TIL, another
stranger stepped up to the bar and
said,
II II Is Just the same to you, / would
like to give YOU ten dollars In silver
for that greenback. as ! want 10 send
the bin away in letter"
Certainly" replied the bartender, ~
he handed the stranger the bill. The
latter pretended TO have a crippled
hand, and taking an envelope, Knuts-
ford hotel envelope. by the way, from
his pocket, requested the bartender to
place the bill In the envelope. When
this was done the stranger pulled out
a handful Of silver, but was annoyed
TO find that he did not have ten dollars
In the meantime. however, he had
placed the envelope containing the $40
note in his coat pocket. Finding that
he lid not have the amount In silver,
he pulled out the envelope supposed 10
contain the bartenders ten, and re-
marked.
Il find ! haven't the amount, but you
just hold the envelope and / will 20
down TO my hotel and get the amount
and come back for the bill In the
meantime stranger No. ! had left the
place and when No. left the barten-
der put the envelope In the cash TIL
Nincelli waited all day yesterday. and
last night found that ne needed the
$40. Il guess that manAis not coming
back for IT, and | don't propose to walt
any longer"
Taking the envelope out Of the cash
TIL he tore II open, a piece OF blank
paper stared him In the face. Vincelli
eazed in amaZement Then something
dawned on him. For several minutes
things were said In heated Italian. One
not having the faintest idea about the
Italian language could plainly tell that
the man was using bad words.
The stranger and the ten are still
missing. and the bartender is still walt
Ing. but with little hope. He didn't
quite understand the trick until the
police informed him that stranger No.
J and stranger No were cd pals. and
that they were working the trick
wherever they got the opportunity.
The next time a stranger asts Vincei
To change a $40 bin he had first better
provide himself with o suit Of srmor,
and wear an iron skillet on his head.