The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-22
THEY FOOL The COLORED MAN.
BLACK BUNCO OPERATORS MAX.
ING FORTUNES ~ THE SOUTH.
The spotted Darkey Wbs Sells Wake. ou'
white" Medieine-'The Hsir strsighfen.
ing Fakir-Frauds Hopeless 70
uhitc Hunco Man Easy TO negro


white" Medicine Hair strsighfens
,ue Fskir-Frauds Hopeless 70
wh,te Bunco Man Easy to . Negro.
W.sprsoroN March 3i.-"The South 10
comparatively free OF white confidence
men. The black brethren OF the bunoo
brigade are getting the money below Mason
and Dixon's line In these days said
Post Once inspector whose travels take
him over q large section Of Southern terri
tory. The colored con man works his
own race exclusively. and some OF his
schemes for fooling the ignorant negroes
out Of their hard-earned money are mighty
ingenious. =.
In Mississippi town. the other day.
had . chance TO watch the operations OF
notified oolored man who vas making money
hand over fist. / say 'mottled' because
he had pure white or pink spots all over
his face and hands and. ! was told, over
all the rest of his body. A few years ago,
while up North, he had some sort OF a
disease which caused these white spots
to appear upon him.
His afYliction puzzled the medical men,
and a great deal was written about his
case at that time In the medical press az
we'll a. In the daily papers. II was thought
that he was going to die In the hospital
to which he was taken. but he recovered
from his illness. the white spots stopped
appearing. and when he found himself
on his feet he was about half black and half
white. The white spots on his face were
az rosy, and the texture Of the skin where
they had appeared as silky as those Of a
young white girl.
well, this colored con man was selling
'make-you-white' medicine to the colored
folks in the Mississippi towns-price, $50
for six bottles. to he used at the rate Of a
bottle q month. and guaranteed to render
'em Just like white folks at the end Of six
months. when they had finished taking the
six bottles.
THE darkey working this game was
dressed to the mines, wore diamonds, and
had money in every pocket. He didn't
sell his make-you-white' medicine publicly
or advertise It In any way. but disposed Of
It BY the visiting method. He had . list
OF the black people who were known to
and he called upon these and stated to them
the marvellous nature Of his medicine.
Tho stuff. As . physician down there
told me. was nothing but water colored
with q harmless dye and favored with q
few drops Of some essential oil. But the
man had only to exhibit himself to prove
the efficacy Of his treatment He told
them that he had only been taking the
medicine for three months himself nd
that the white spots on him were spread
ing every day. He would partly disrobe
to show prospective male purchasers Of
his marvellous 'make-you-white' dope the
fine pink spots on his torso.
-Of course he got the currency Of the
black believers in punches and bundles.
Few Of them could doubt the evidence Of
their own eyes when they felt Of the con
mans white spots and found 1t impossible
to rub them Oh. He didn't make any
bones about the sort OF business he was
engaged in, and the white authorities,
far from molesting him. appeared to be
rather amused over the cleverness Of his
graft.
Il had q talk With him about his dope,
and with q very broad brin md screwed-up
wink. he declared TO me that his medicine
would do for the blacks just what he pro-
leased II would do-make them white.
Then his grin became still broader as he
added:
TT won't make 'em no blacker'n whut
dey Ia. nohow.'
He has been circulating in the black
belt for q couple Of years now. I under
stand, and was told that he had bought
out Of the proceeds OF his graft His
twenty dollar outfits Of his medicine that
81
town he y working for persons Of his race
who have only tiS, go or Is TO invest
he takes no lower than %.
'Hs swsars the people who get the cut
rate to secrecy a. TO the amounts they
have paid for the make ou-white' dope.
telling them that he has only made the
reduction a. . special and 'perticlar'
favor He doesn't make any return trips
sons He tells the victims who buy the
oolorsd water from him that they can
sIpect action on the STUFF after they've
besn taking Il for . week. 90 he isn't taking
any chances on return trips.
The Last e. yscs. have o sssn % S:,as
graftsrs, whos~ game Is TO paddle fake
liquids and calves guaranteed 10 make
the hair Of thslr purchAsers - straight .
that Of white people Tho haulds we're
Henef Ally pinlh Day rum OF eDmo cboAb eoft
81 toilet wstsr. and the calves ordinary
vaselins. but thess srsfters r., ~ high a.
go foS tssir outdts Of wooI-stfsiG hisainx
stun
1T n neatly psnksd In ANAL pss,~bosrd
hose. oov.sed over nth hgh-fslu,in'
pssisr. s-,,iHA forth ths msfii. d the
sss.sta. .S,-vss. .sssir 'ustisE,i.s.s.
kso,s. sad - ea. snd ,i.sy Ill ths trsel
si,i.s,a hall uytAf nssy, tso. are careful
Ca a.i . tssn only eao~. fof la s~ihas tho
hair siisiahssasss they susssh,ss dvlsk
I.sulss sssd sss MA lsablas los Hsxaf ,youLls
s..s. NE, .ss. .ss -; 10. y. s sss e.. -
"a iilnsssni ps-sass' u ths ba~y- eoI
Isilsd sussss ~ il-sn throughout Pisnas
sha f,sossls ~ -sllhs thea sA.sfss sLld
a.lils pLs.sssf ,hsy d.-lssa 40 o. "
s--s fss s.4s,'as ssss ssaii.s,, tsla.s.
.esily coed " hiils lsse.- ~ s.si.ssls
,sla s .ss. ~. q. s,r q ,l.s.e :.
~ ~ Is, lsld IL slssls.s ,l.s, ~ aLssa.s
s' 80. s' 49,. ..'. !. 1i.!s - $685. 'i X.
s,ss...ssi 10 s.ssys ts...a.''.fd .siisiA
ia 10 isS lsss ~ si.lsl il,ls ,asA s.-ssasa
....' .... 49,. ..i'.' e. =. Ok 80. go" 80.
or Y s.sil J.sa lid a.,AslI