Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-12
.BUNKO MAN IN TOWN
:. I. sPERLlNG, PROSPEROUS
WAPELLo COUNTY FARMER
LOSES SO.
Sells Load of Hay to Shark in Shirt
Sleeves and Then Changes $40 With.
out Getting the Twenty An Old
Game Worked Successfully.

A real, live bunko steerer dropped
into town yesterday and within short
time he had succeeded in landing a
victim. E. L. Sporting, a prominent
farmer who resides near Nasty Cor
ners, about nine miles east of the city,
is the man who suffered from contact
with the shark and it cost him Just SO.
1T was not a gold brick that Mr.. Sper-
ling bought, neither was it the shell
game that he went up against 1t was
the old change racket. hut it was
worked in manner that proved the
bunko steerer an artist
How 1t Happened.
Yesterday afternoon shortly after
the noon hour a busy appearing young
man appeared on the haymarket on
South Washington street He was
breezy boy and hadn't minute to
spare. The young fellow was in his
shirt sleeves and pencil reposed
gracefully on his right ear. He APP
preached Mr.. Sporting. who had just
brought in load of hay. and asked the
price of the load. Mr.. Sporting offered
! to lump it for 81 but the con" man
held for $3.50, They agreed on 81.
however and the shark led off telling
!! Mr.. Sperling to follow and he would
show him where to deliver the hay.
Does Mr.. Wilson Live Here?"
| Up Washington street to Fourth and
4 then up Court to Fifth went the busy
! boy with the pencil on his ear, his
\ shirt sleeves Hopping in the breeze.
Mr.. Sperling and the hay followed
closely. The CON man turned east
! on Fifth street and stopped in front
of the residence of Charles A. Walsh,
at 125 East Fifth street He told Mr..
Sperling to wait on the wagon while
4 he asked his father for the money to
pay for the load. The smooth one
4 went up and raped on the door, the
man on the wagon little suspecting
that he was an entire stranger to the
family. Mrs. Walsh came to the door
and she was asked if Mr. Wilson lived
there. Replying in the negative she
was asked If a party by that name liv-
ed in the vicinity. Now all this took
time and Mr. Sperling on his wagon
had no suspicious but that the young
man talking to Mrs. Walsh was the
son Of the house.
He Got the Nine.
4 Down the steps came the shark with
the story that his father had nothing
less than $40 bill and was in rush
to get down town. Could Mr.. Sper-
ling change the twenty. Mr.. Sporting
looked and found that he had but So
well you give me the nine" said the
bunko man, and | will give that to
father and take his twenty. Then
when we get down town I'll square up
with you" He got the nine and went
up to give it to father. Mr.. Sporting
waited on his load of hay. He contin
, ued to wait and then he kept on wait
ing. 1t was beginning to get chilly on
top of the load of hay and Mr.. Sporting
, decided to go UP to the house and hur
ry the young man along. When he
asked Mrs. Walsh about the matter
she told him the young man was an
entire stranger to her and that he hat
walked around the house and out the
back way.
Mr.. Sporting is on the Watch.
1t was sorrowful awakening to Mr.
t Sporting. 1t was not SO much the SO
That is mere trifle to Wapell'
, county farmer in these prosperous
days. 1t was the thought that h
had been buncoed. had gone III
i against the green goods with his eye
open that hurt. Mr.. Sporting is look
4 ing for smooth young man in hi
! shirt sleeves with a pencil balance
i on his ear, but he has gone Con
where the woodbine twineth to lol
around in luxury until his nine i
gone.