The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-02
PSEUDO FARMERS GAME
HOW THEY TURNED A CLEVER
TRICK IN EARLY MORNING BAR.
Rough Clothes and Rural Air Could
Not Disguise Their smoothness
"A Missing Watch.

The cleverest criminals often betray
themselves in their anxiety to make haul,
whether with the aid of a set of burglar
tools or merely with deft fingers 1t is
believed that such a case came under the
notice of party of early morning New
Years day celebrators and later to the at
fention OF the police. Mark Williams, aged
sixty-fve, and Oliver Williams, aged twen-
ty-seven, claiming MIncie as their home
are locked up at the police station await
ing trial tomorrow the charge of
drunkenness, and a more serious charge
may be placed against them before they
are tried.
The two men have the appearance of
being ignorant farmers, as their dress
and general makeup when arrested was of
the rural type. They were shabbily
dressed. wore boots, slouchy hats and
hashy muffiers. Their talk was of the
backwoods kind. but their eyes were as
keen as the smoothest crooks II was
their eyes and their desire 10 see and hear
all that was going on in certain place
early yesterday morning that helped to
land them behind the bars. They had a
chance to get away, but their evident de-
sire 10 remain longer for some purpose in
creased the suspicious of the crowd Of
bystanders.
WANTED TO TRADE THINGS.
The two farmers strolled into the
early merging" bar at the Kingston sa-
loon quite early. In fact the New Year
was but two or three hours old when they
prepared TO camp OUT i'm the barroom.
They talked trade and offered to swap
anything they had "sight-unseen." They
got close to people and kept up an air of
farmer innocence. About o'clock i'm the
morning three or four men who had missed
their night owl cars wandered into the
early morning bar. Their attention was
soon attracted by the movements and ac-
tons OF the two farmers" The strangers
showed their wise eyes" and the new
corners decided to wait and see what game
was to be played.
The farmers drank often and the old
man, man appeared to be under the influence OF
other room and conversed. and once start
ed 10 leave the place. but returned The
oId man TOOK chair very near to another
IDENTIFY asleep and the old farmer feiened
sleeping His hand slipped under the table
while the younger farmer kept his eyes or
the mirrors to watch the crowd In a
few minutes the younger farmer shook
the older enc by the arm and gave the
sign II was time to go. At this time one
You two fellows seem TO be about tbs
smoothest individuals that have struck
this town for some time You are nm n
something. and we are going to stay and
see what your little game is
WATCH WAS GONE.
The young farmer who had moved To .
chair at another table seemed to forget 70,
an instant his part and drew razor from
his pocket. He opened il and looked men.
acingly at the crowd. evidently trying 70
intimidate those who had been WATCHING
him and his companion. The crowd stooe
by. wondering what was up, when the mar
at the table who had been asleep woke NJ
and reached for his watch to see the time
His watch was gone The young farmer
made dash toward the front of the saloon
but was caught by one of the men I'm IN,
crowd. The farmer. tried 10 draw hi,
razor. but u was taken from him Tn,
older man made a dash toward the bacl
DOOR. nut ne was stopped and compelled
"a 81 o2%h with his hands on the table
< me oicycie police were called. and whel
they arrived the two farmers wer.
searcned, out the watch could not be found
The man who had been touched de
clared that the two fellows had rohhe,
him y search was szade I'm the totla
room ana part o. the chain was found
but the search for the watch xvas Ell,
less The police believed there was a mir,
party working with the two farmers an a.
that after the watch had been .:iif,sd's 90, =
must have been passed TO the third nar.,,
who got away with IL POI y
The TWO farmers protested their limo
cence, but were taken TO police headonar
tiers and slated for sdrtfnkennss. Ds va,
Patrolman Grtffln. who helped arrest sba -
said ne DehfNec they were smooth crooLs
and VIII be held pending Investigation