Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-12-14
rAlLoRs HELP sWINDLERs.
Roaues who Live on Their Elegant
Wardrobes.

II manners make the man, assured.
~ a good suit of clothes goes more
than half way to make the swindler.
The modern Beau Brummell com.
mands every bit as much respect, and
incidentally, credit, as he did In the
days of the regency, and the swindler
who is dressed by first-class tailor
generally has a much longer tether
than the ruffianly Bill Skies.
A case in point is that of a person
who was arrested last April at Poit-
iers. His name was Susas, but he
called himself the Count de Casmad
ard, and posed as an attache of the
French embassy at Madrid. He may
be said to have lived on his wardrobe
Not only were his diplomatic uni
forms perfect and correct in every de-
tail. but he seldom Wore the same
clothes two days in succession. When
he was at last arrested there were
found among his effects no fewer than
800 suits of clothes. 120 extra pairs
OF trousers, $50 waistcoats, ninety-sev-
en- hats, and other garments too num-
erOus to mention.
But it is very possible for swindler
to gull the public at a much less out
lay than the bogus nobleman just
mentioned. A butchers blue apron
has been known to procure it's own
er an illegal but excellent living for
many months. This particular swim.
der, who has recently retired into
enforced seclusion for the space of
six months, had his regular method
of going to work. Downing his blue
badge of brotherhood he would loaf
along a suburban street until he saw
genuine butcherboy carrying a Joint.
He waited until the meat was deliv-
cred and the boy had gone, then bold
ly knocked and said that the butcher
had sent the. wrong joint He was
very sorry. Might he take it away
and bring the right one? Nine times
out of ten he got the joint and eth
er sold it or devoured it.
For sheer cheek it would be diff
cult to beat the ruse of man who
used to get himself up as an omnibus
conductor, and for long time reap
ed harvest of pence in the following
way: Watching until the real con.
ductor was on top Of the omnibus col
lecting fares, the swindler would slip
into the body of the vehicle and de-
mand the fares of those who had not
yet paid. It is proof of how little the
average passenger notices things
around him that this man pursued his
illegal game in various parts of Lon
don for some weeks, and then was
at last Spotted" and captured by the
driver of a hansome cab.
The secondhand dress suit of a
waiter enabled smart Partisan scamp
to make some lucky hauls. By the
aid of forged testimonials he would
get taken on as an extra hand at busy
seasons in some large restaurant
There he would do his duty as we'll
as any professional waiter until some
diner happened to entrust him with a
bank note in payment Of his bill. The
waiter would go off for change, but
he never came back, and usually the
unfortunate landlord was obliged to
pay up. But after about two years
of this kind of swindling in various
parts of the continent, our Partisan
friend was foolish enough to try his
game on at Brussels in a restaurant
which he had visited once before. He
was recognized, and when he left with
a stolen note in his pocket he rar
into the very arms of a policeman
who was awaiting him at the door.
A black coat, a silk hat, a stetho
scope and clinical thermometer com
bined with a suave professional man
ner were the stock-in-trade of Ma,
Muller, the inventor of one Of thu
smartest swindles in the experience
of the New York police. To explain
Muller's methods, it is easiest to take