The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-05
BOUGHT IT FOR LINEN
HUNDREDS OF SAVANNAH LADIES
TAKEN IN BY PAIR OF PEDDLERs.
SOLD COTTON FOR IRISH LINEN
PAID is TO so CENTS A YARD FOR
10 CENT CLOTH.

Linen" in Bolts which Turned Out
ed to Sell for the Real Article.
Sold Thousands of Dollars Worth
of the stun. '
By two shrewd peddlers hundreds of
Savannahians have been swindled
within the last two weeks. After an
investigation covering that space of
time Superintendent of Police Garfun-
KEEL was able yesterday morning to cor
ner the swindlers and prevent their
further operations.
For at least two weeks two foreigners
have reaped a rich harvest by dispos-
ing of large. quantities of highly fin
ished cotton cloth-that cost them
probably cents a yard-for genuine
| Irish linen, at from Is to so cents a
yard. In only a few cases did the
''phoney'' stuff sell as low as
| 10 cents. Even then the ped
dlers made money. And yet
the victims-and by victims is
meant probably eight out of ten per-
sons they visited-will not know that
they have been swindled until they
read the exposure made by the super
intendent of police.
Selling their 'phoney' stuff in sus-
picious manner-even limiting in some
cases that it had been smuggled-the
men made at least several thousand
dollars, the police believe. But not
evidence against them be secur-
| ed. No complaint had been
lodged at police headquarters and
Supt Garfunkel learned of what
| was happening quite by accident.
| Even then he could not tell that Sa
vannahians were being swindled, or
he would have promptly. exposed the
| smooth game. Every one who made
| purchase was certain of a big bargain,
and in nine cases out of ten the cloth
was put away to be used later.
Police Heard RumOrs.
About two weeks ago Supt. Garfun-
| KEEL heard the first whisper. Some one
had purchased a bolt of Irish linen,
| the best on the market for 20 cents
yard. The head of the police de-
| partment knew that the best linen re-
| tails for IS cents and Immediately de-
cided that the stuff had either been
stolen or was not what 1t was repre-
scented to be.
Later he heard of other sales that
had been made by an italian
who seemeded afraid of his shad-
w" The police chief notified
his men to watch for him
and arrest him on sight, but the
| peddler worked quietly and managed to
elude the uniformed men. Then the
sale of the cheap linen reached the
| ears of the merchants, who were also
suffering, and they complained. The
police chief got into the game him
self, and day or two ago fixed things
| so that the peddler would be landed
as soon as he put in an appearance
| at any one of dozen houses in various
sections Of the city. He was deter
mined to solve the case. ~
How Sales Were Made.
About 10 o'clock in the morning a
house in the southern section of the
city was visited by an Italian who
| offered de besta linen ona de mar
ket' for 20 cents a yard He appear
ed nervous when pedestrians passed
| and kept the half a dozen bolts in his
bundle concealed. His manner was
such as to arouse suspicion.
There were only a few bolts in the
| bundle-it wasn't the game to carry
|
| and twelve yards each. No one but
an expert could have told that it
wasn't linen. 1t had been manufac-
| tured for the purpose of deceiving,
and folded in double length just like
linen. Still it was only cotton done
up in fine style for the express pur-
pose of assisting the swindler in max
ing the sale. Yet not a single per-
son approached suspected that the stuff
was not what it was represented to
be.
Chief Behind SvvindIer.
Even at the house where the ped
dler called it was not. known whether
real linen was being purchased or not.
| For bolt of eleven yards 1920 was
paid, and the peddler began his work on
others in the neighborhood. But almost
before he had reached the next house
| Supt. Garfunkel was aware of what
had happened, and knew that the man
was really within his grasp.
The peddler was located in the vicin-
ity of Hose Company No. 1, on VALID
burg street, east. Fireman Wilder was
instructed by the police to make the
man a prisoner. At the same time Pa
trolman Clarence Sandiford was hur-
ried from headquarters on bicycle.
The peddier sold two more bolts be-
fore he was taken in charge by the
| uTeHldH anu escorted 10 the nre sta
| ton.
A few minutes afterwards Officer
Sandiford arrived, and the man dis
| played a license to dispose of his goods.
This didn't go with the uniformed man.
! however. He had received instructions
to hold him, and he did so. The fire
men were all certain that the stuff was
| linen, and those who had purchased if
| were also reasonably certain that thew
had a bargain
Second SwindIer Arrested.
While the SUPERINTENDENT of noIica
was preparing to go to the fire station
in the patrol wagon he discovered an
Italian ON Habersham street. a. blocl,
from police headquarters and had him
overhauled by Patrolman Meldrim. The
man had a bundle of the "phoney''
linen and was going from stoop to
stoop trying to dispose of it.
He had license, but was taken into
the superintendent office, where the
stuff was examined. Supt. GarfunkeI
discovered in an instant that the bolts
Of cloth were ''phoney' linen. Cot
ton cloth had been done up and finish
ed with some process to resemble the
genuine article and the public was he
ing heeced. The prisoner declared in
broken English, that he didn't saw thar
the stun was linen, but that il looked
like linen. He claimed not to hava
known any better, and was release
with the understanding that he womb
go out of business
Claimed Not 10 Know.
At the fire station tha oto.l