Bisbee daily review., 1904-07-24
HarCOurt Was
 Smooth SWindIer
HOW HE "sUNcoED" ALBERT STElNFELT OF TUCSON WAS
 REPATED ELSEWHERE.
Wife Parted With Bogus Jewelry Amid Tears Many Stories of the Man Ter Used to Create the Confidence Necessary to Raise Money.

In commenting on the big diamond swindle in Tucson the Star says: To the minds of those who had 1 known and practically forgotten Har- court. the story which was published in yesterdays paper concerning that gentleman and his doings here did not occasion much surprise. as it was gen orally known that he was one of the smootkest of the many smooth ones now working games on those whom It IS possible 10 approach.
 Since the news of MT. Steinfei1 | bringing suit against Bartlett and men, tioning Harcourt and his wife in con- nection with Bartlett. that suit has | been the chief talk of the town and many story regarding NIT. Harcourt and his smooth doings in the past have | been heard and many have expressed considerable surprise that a man like MT. Steinfeld should De made a victim of such a deal. This, however, is cas- fly understood when the truth of the story is known. MT. Steinfeld it is said had in the past had many deal ings with Bartlett and had always found him to be trustworthy. and when he had borrowed a sum of money. re- | turned it. Thus then if he approach ed Mir. Steinfeld and vouched for a man as being good in a way made the
 man good in his eyes. IL is not at all l probable that any man with MT. Stein | fields business experience would have | been taken in on cold game like that
 one without having some reason to i think that some one stood for the man | he dealt with.
 There are many in Tucson who are
 well acquainted with Harcourt and his | method of doing business. It is said
 that he has worked more big deals | like the one worked here and has dis l posed of more diamonds that way than | any other man known. It is said that his usual custom is to approach the
 banks, and there putting up a hard luck story he gains listener. Then
 comes his story. He is a race man has had a hard run of luck, but has
 some diamonds, and his wife has some
 and he would like to put them up for
 some cash The banker accepts the
 offer. Then up comes Harcourt's
 wife loaded down with necklaces ] bracelets, rings, ear ornaments, etc She objects very strongly to stripping
 herself of her jewelry, but as Jack
 insists, and as he is in hard luck, she
 sheds them and accompanies them
 with few tears. Then she and Jack l leaves the city.
 In the next place they have more 1 diamonds and the same process Is | gone through with another victim add
 ed to the list. It is said by those who
 are presumed to know that some ot 1 the best banking men in the country
 have been taken in on that game, and
 when he was here he asked one party l to go to one of the banks with him and
 introduce him. This party being on
 10 the game, to a certain extent, re-
 fused to do it.
 One story has it that the diamonds
 used are all cheap stones, manufac-
 tured by New York firm and distrib-
 uted about for just such transactions.
 Another one is that the diamonds
 are genuine, bought up at a discount
 in some pawn shops and from men whose business it is to get the stones. | It is also stated that the game was
 worked in other parts of this section,
 but no stories as to just where they
 were worked have yet been heard.