Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-12-17
By Horatlo Purdy.

or his field OF operations be the such-and SUCH
set at Newport or the poor ignorant denizens OF
New YOBk's East Side lazarettO, upon whom be
preys with y wantOnness that's smacks of cruelty.
There is side Of the graiters life about which
We zee little ia the newspapers for the very good
reason that the victims Of this sleek debOnair coun
terfeit Of manliness and decencV generally elect
pay the price and suffer in silence rather than expose
his villany and their own weakness as a necessary
condition.
The CRATER who makes a speciality Of women has
Thousand ways Of bringing to his net the gullible
members Of the fair sex.
One Of his most common methods is that of DO.
sing as q candidate for matrimOny, and IL be is Oi
presentable appearance we'll schOOled in the art Oi
fattery and Of good style he may travel from Maine
to California on his ''shape" leaving in his wake
trail OF more or less bruised hearts and acumuatng
more or less plethric bank account.
Probably the mOstlucrativ field outside the matri
mOnial is the sporting. The freedom which the grand
stand permits OF between men and women aud the
opportunities whicn it offers for forming aeduain.
tances irresistible temptations to the CRATER
The green woman sport is a positive gold mine to
him, for she is so pleasantly cOnfding and is only
too glad to intrust her bets to 3 man to place.
Then there's loans to be repaid when luck comes the
grafter's way, and many another scheme for wheed-
ling the dollars out of the new friends pocket
Another prolific field for this class of CRATER ia
the woman with passion for the stage.
There is no time in the history of New York
when there not dozen or more traps neatly sci
for women with the ambition to become theatrical
stars, and the money to carry it out.
These women are generally attracted by speciO1s
advertisements in the newspapers, announcing the
forthcoming production of a society play woman
OF social standing is needed for the stellar Iole and
her opportunity to win fame and fortune is assured
This is very alluring kind Of bait, and gener-
ally brings forward several women who have long
secretly cherished hopes of getting on the stage
Often the woman is married and she wants every
thing kept strickly secret Plenty of money is
forthcoming, bat hubby must never know what it il
being used for until the fateful night has arrived
and the patiently sought success won.
This kind Of a client is the very best that is avail
able for the purposes of the CRATER. There is no
question whatever about any quarrel over expense
when the inevitable happens, and so after the game
has been played to its limit and the chicken suci
emily plucked the manager suddenly has a call out
Of town and the little farce that has been enacted in
his Office comes to an abrupt conclusion.
OF course, in many cases, productions are made,
and the game is carried merrily along. Manager
and star combine to use their influence with
wealthy hubby, and his leg is pulled assiduOusly 30
long there is any possibility Of making believe
that the victim has talent or the public any further
fOrebearance.
There are two ways Of working this kind Of graft.
There is the stTaightlaced Manager who is all busi-
ness and who is sure that he has picked up star
accidently, and whose faith in her never wanes
until her last dollar is gone, and there Is the less as.
tute CRATER, who makes very little effort to work
the legitimate side Of the scheme and only object
under any Would-be stars funds to his own pocket
book. The habitat OF this undOubted bird Of prey
in any Of the large cltes for change Of climate is
often found desirable by him. and bis victims are as
easily secured in San Francisco as they are in New