The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-28
SHARP TRIO AFTER
FARMERS MONEY
OLD GAME MADE ATTRACTIVE IN
NEW FORM.
Two Are Affluent Land Buyers, While
the Third, Who Drops In Innocently
Enough, Has Pockets Bullying with
Money and Appears to Need a Guar
dian. .,.' .a..
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. .=..a
st. James Mimi, June 2S.-A trio Of sharpers
have been working amoug the farmers of south
Minnesota for month, trying to fleece
them out of their dollars with old game under
q new name.
The trio enter town and pass themselves off
as gentlemen who desire to invest in farm
lands. In this manner they become acquainted
with the standing of the various farmers. and,
choosing one, they start their game. Two OF
NE RIG 70 b s IF the
farmer will sell they talk land, and after
time make an appointment with him. Here Is
where the third gets in his work ri.
The two usually give the names of Judge
Harris and Dr. Morgan of Cedar Rapids Iowa.
Their confederate acts the part OF dementeu
with pocketful Of money-they bait with
which they catch their victims. t-.
Their game is to get farmer interested In the
sale of his property and to take him to a point
where they will meet the confederate The CON
federate stops them with wave of his hand,
and asks the place of residence of man with
impossible name Judge Harris, who is
spokesman, replies that he is stranger and ap
peals to the farmer beside him for information.
Of course the farmer never heard of person
with the name given and says So Thereupon the
confederate launches upon disconnected story
of just having come from Kentucky looking for
a man by the name of Hornblower who had mar
ried his sister and moved to southern Minnesota
He further states THAT his father has just died
and left him $500, and that he has the money
with him.
In proof his pockets appear to be fairly hlled
with Ereenbacks. Harris and the farmer usually
question the stranger, and from the answers re-
ceiyed the farmer is usually convinced that the
is crazy. The confederate asks the farmer
II he has ever been to Chicago and tells how
he visited the city and lost $4o card game.
1t is worth the money, he says, for he learned
a trick or two that was worth $40 of anybody $
money. Harris asks if he remembers the trick
well enough to show it to them. He does re-
member, and pulling a buster from the buggy he
spreads it out upon the ground and from some
where in his money-laden pockets he finds a
deck of cards.
Here you" he says, ''giye me S., and if you
draw queen you get 81, 500.''
Harris gives him the five, draws queen and
gets the money. Harris draws again, but the
queen is elusive. The farmer is then asked
to dray. Generally he is timid but the sight
of the money about makes him careless and he
deposits and draws If the farmer is sharp he
will notice that the queen is bent and doubled
and easily picked-out of the pack. Usually the
farmer draws the queen and is handed a roll.
supposed to contain the $500.
Now" says the confederate, 'you have got
to show same amount The Judge speaks for
farmer and not likely to have the amount with
bim, but that he owns a large farm near by
and does not need to show that he can raise
the amount. THAT will not do says the con-
Eederate. 'FIe must show the money 1t Is
explained pro and and Harris then proposes
to go to town and get the money, and the con
federate promises to wait the spot for theil
return.
II the farmer is wise he will then part com
pany with the sharpers and most of them do
Those who return with money in their pockets
60 home more wise, if less rich, for the days
experience
The trio have been working in Blue Earth
Brown, Cottonwood Watonwan and Mobiles coun
ties. but have only made small hauls. They are
sharp and look for greener fields before the au;
thorities can lay hands upon them.