Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-17
Y
USED TO THRIVE HERE
a
Grafters Once Found the City
70.
Easy Picking"
ALL SORTS OF GAMES
HAVE BEEN WORKED" BIZ 1NeE-
NOUS swINDLERs.
Even Houses Of the Dead Were Not
overlooked-A Windy City
Mans Novel Scheme.

The New York correspondence in The
Evening Star Of last Saturday, describing
number Of successful grating" games
which have been worked recently on citi-
Gems OF the metropolis, recalled to a vete-
ran Washington policeman several unique
gratis which were as successfully worked
In this city in late years.
Washington" said the old policeman,
with its mixed population representing
many states and almost every country UNI
der the sun, was recognized several years
ago as most prolific field for grafters.
and members of that crooked fraternity
worked many daring and original schemes
here. The vigilance Of the police force
Of late has changed all this and the city
Is only visited on far between occasions by
these plausible and oilytongued workers:
'One OF the neatest swindles perpetrated
in Washington ts known as the street
railway employees advertising dodge 1t
was successfully carried out by two smooth
young men, their victims being mostly
business men. The swindlers, attired in
uniforms similar to those worn by street
railway conductors and motormen, went
among the merchants soliciting advertise
ments for novel program to be used at
bogus ball, which they alleged was to
pe given OIL q certain GATE ana at q Ger.
tain hall by the combined railway en-
ployes Of the District.
Many prominent merchants bit readily
and gave the fakirs large advertising. con-
tracts. the money to be paid upon the pre-
sentation of one of the printed programs
on the date on which the dance was sup
posed to take place The collections,
amounting to nearly $1,000. were promptly
made, but, or course, the ball did not take
place This discovery was first made by
rir1fn q
and + streets northwest, who went to the
hall to collect a balance due him for print
Ing the programs The hall was dark at
$50 o'clock on the evening announced for
the dance, and the proprietor was sur
prised when shown one of the programs.
He said he had not rented the hall to any
one for that night After making their
collections the bogus railroad men boarded
petrate their fraud In some other city.
Worked Houses Of the Dead.
"One OF the meanest swindes ever oper-
ated in this city was carried on successful
ly for a number of months by plausible
young woman, who employed a hard-luck
story which seldom failed her. She care
fully scanned the obituary columns Of the
daily newspapers and selected therefrom
the names and addresses of her prospective
victims. Alfred in clean but rather
seedy costume, she would visit the houses
Of death two or three. days after father,
mother, husband or wife had been buried
and represent herself to be a devoted
daughter struggling to support her aged
and invalid parents
Should the deceased be a woman the
CRATER would state that her poor old
mother was without sufficient clothing to
make her presentable, sand for that reason
she could not go out Of doors to enjoy the
bright sunshine or bracing atmosphere,
both Of which would be as tonic to her. In
case the deceased was a man she would
make the same statement, only substituting
her poor old father for her mother. She
would then plead with the family to give
her some of the clothing left by their dead
relative for her feeble parent.
This CRATER was an educa ted woman and
could shed tears copiously while telling her
sad story to her sorrow-stricken victims.
She rarely failed to secure a quantity of
booty, which she promptly sold at good
prices to some dealer in secondhand
clothes. She was caught one occasion
disposing of two suits of mems clothing !
an overcoat and other articles. A threat to
turn her over to the police and expose her
nefarious methods caused the woman to
leave the city in quick order
T. Chicagoan's Novel "Graft"
"A well-dressed and smooth talking young
man, who hailed from Chicago, worked a
novel grating scheme on many of the
wealthy residents of the northwestern sec
ton of the city several months ago. He
informed his victims that he was a printer
and had recently lost his position at the
government printing Office owing to a re-
he added, endeavoring to secure a rein
statement, but had failed. He was, of
course, without money, and that morning
had received word from his home In Phila-
delphia that his dear mother OF whom he
was the only support, was critically ILL.,
He then stated that as he was without
money to pay his railroad fare, he would
have to walk to Philadelphia. He did not
was badly ripped, and he was afraid it
would not last until he reached home. At
this point the fellow would point to the
shoe, which was in bad condition, and re-
quest his nearer to give him pair of dis
carded shoes. Sometimes the sympathetic
victim, usually woman, as he made his
observation-disclosures rounds during office
hours, would give the CRATER her hus-
bands, fathers or brothers extra shoes.
After thanking her profusely the swndler
would join his pal around the corner and
deposit the shoes In bag carried by the
latter. -..--...
Should the victim state that there were
no old shoes about the house, the persist
ent fellow would ask for twenty-five cents
to have his damaged footgear mended, in
order to enable him to reach his dying
mother His appeals were made in such
a pathetic manner that they rarely failed
to bring results. The shoe which this
fraudulent CHAP wore 10 excite sympathy
was torn and cut by himself purposely to
further his game. He had an excellent pair
of shoes in his room for evening wear.
The shoes in the bag carried by his part
ner found ready sale at the second hand
dealers This suaSe fraud was not a printer
at all, but a cooper. He was heard
to boast at his lodgi9g place that he could
only earn $175 a. day working hard at his
trade, while the shoe graft Melted him
from 81 to $3.50 for, a few hours of can
wasting each day, "a 80.
The "Cuban Widow" CRATER.
'"The bogus Cuban, widow was a high
flying CRATER with whom the Capitol po-
lice were called iupene to deal She was
a comedy young woman with dark complex
ion and eyes and raven locks. She GER
tainly looked and played the part of Sc
nora to perfection Her principal victims
were senators and Representatives TO
these she told narrowing tale of persecu-
ton and suffering. Her husband, she said,
who was an officer n the army of Cuba,
had been captured and put to death by the
Spaniards To escape, from her persecu-
tors she had come to this free country and
found herself in washington without home,
friends or money. II
Her appeal usually touched the hearts OF
har lfateners and she received VARYING