The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-08
THE KNIFE TRICK AGAIN.
Old Bunco Game Worked Successfully in Kansas City.

Old Bunco Game Worked Successfully in
 Kansas City.
 It happened in the union depot. Henry Wilkinson, young farmer, with his wife and two children, had just stepped from train. A stranged ap-H preached him and asked for his pocket knife to sharpen a lead pencil. T haven't any, said Henry. II lost 1t the day left home At that moment an- other man spoke. Here's kfiife,n said he, and handed one to the man with the broken pencil But he couldn't open 1t. The lender did it easily, and then offered to bet that there wans't a man present that could repeat the trick. Wilkinson's little family went to the waiting-room. The young farmer stayed to investigate. One of the men bet a dollar and won it. Then another man whispered to WilBfn- son and told him about a secret spring in the knife handle. "I've seen 'em be- fore" said the informer. "Go ahead and bet; you can break that fellow. I learned the game long ago. | Wilkinson had s45, and with his family was on his way to California. If he could make $10 or $20 it would be very acceptable. So he bet S20 that he could open the knife. And he did. Then he bet $50 that he could do it again. The man handed him the knife -only 1t wasn't the same one-and he lost. Henry's heart sprang into his throat like the end that the cattle were chewing down on the farm he had left a day or two before. He thought of his wife and children and everything seemed suddenly to grow dark. He heard the voice Of the man that had won his money. but it sounded far off and thin,t like the voice in a photograph. You might as we'll try again." the man was saying, 'you may win it all back this time" Henry pulled out the $15 still remaining and--lost it. At that in- stant another man appeared, man that threw back his coat and displayed a star on which were the words, City detective."
 You men have been gambling" he declared sternly. T shall have to search you" The man that wanted to borrow Henry's knife, the man that owned the mysterious knife and the man that knew the secret of knives had nothing in their pockets. Henry had SO cents and the tickets for himself and wife. The train would leave in an hour. He told the supposed detective that he simply dared not be left here, and the ''officer" agreed to let. him go. "But shall take these fellows to police head quarters for gambling" he insisted. You get out of town as quickly as pos- sible." And he marched away with his ''prisoners."
 Wilkinson, palefaced and wondering what in the world to do. told his wife all about it. They thought it over awhile and then, as the women novelists say, great light broke in upon the young farmer and he hastened to the police station to tell his story to the sergeant, not forgetting to mention the supposed detective. But of course that was all he could do; the policeman lis tened, and that was the end of what he did. True. he told the farmer ''it was the old knife trick" but that wasn't much consolation. .a-
 The men that operate the knife trick do not stay long in any city. Their work is done in depots or on the crowd ed streets near by. They are the most difficult to catch of any confidence men,