Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-01-11

He had been working his graft fng
IS years. In the meantime his children
had been well educated.
His family. neighbors and friends
supposed that all these years be was
United States detective, and after
hearing the wonderful experiences no
related of numerous hair-breadth es-
capes in capturing moonshiners, coun-
terfeiters and other law breakers they
regarded him as a man OF extraordln-
airy ability.
Frequently he would leave home.
after providing his family with every
comfort of life, and remain away two
and three months without writing a
word
He had been arrested over so times
during the is years. had been dis
charged IA times without fine; had
been fined two or three dollars and
costs about 30 times; was fined $40 and
S25 and costs on two charges, and had
been sentenced 20 ten days In jail on
one occasion and 30 -days on another.
This was his graft. In selecting old
gold frames he picked out those of the
lightest weight, for as he always pur-
chased them by weight the lighter
the frames the less they cost him. He
never took the precaution to clean
them up, preferring that they have the
appearance of having been worn for
some time. He then went to a lens
manufacturer and purchased all the
culls or seconds and thirds Of about
the same retroactive power as he him
self wore for reading and close work.
In each Of the solid gold frames he
put pair OF these cheap lenses.
The frames cost about 20 cents each;
the cost of lenses did not exceed go
cents per dozen pair, which made the
entire cost of each pair of spectacles
about so cents.
A town of any size could be worked
on his graft, but he found that cities
ranging in population from 10000 to
$4,000 were the most profitable. On
arriving at a town he donned an old,
well-worn painters blouse. In select
ing victim he chose a man about his
own age, possibly grocer, or the pro-
prietor Of a meat market.
Calling upon his man he explained
that he was painter by trade, and
had Just arrived in the town with
view to looking up job. On going to
the post Office he said he had received
news from his wife that his mother
was at the point Of death and wanted
him to hurry home Then he took a
pair of spectacles from his pocket.
II am here almost stranded" he
continued, "and l am nearly frantic
to reach my mothers bedside. It will
cost me Ave dollars to get home, and
If you will let me have that amount
on my spectacles, will send you six
dollars as soon as get home, and you
can return them to me. They are
solid gold, and cost me $42 when new.
OF course l am a stranger to you, and
perhaps you are no judge of the quail
ity of such frames. but to show that l
am honest will leave them with you,
and return this afternoon, as my train
does not leave until evening This
will give you plenty of time to take
them to some jeweler who can tell
whether or not they are solid gold.
II you will help me out, will have
the six dollars back here inside OF two
days"
After planting" this pair, as he
termed 1t, he Immediately started for
the other side of the town and plant
ed" another pair with some business
man on the same proposition. Before
rounding up" he planted on an aver
! age four pairs in each town.
Toward evening he made his round
up" and either got back the spectacles
or borrowed anywhere from three to
FIVE dollars.
When asked how it happened that
he had been arrested so many times
he laughed and explained that the
greatest trouble he had was, that most
invariably every man with whom he
planted" a pair would take them to
the best jeweler in town. This fact
often led to unpleasantness and 1t was
always hard toaexplain matters
| 1t was not an uncommon thing for
him to call upon some man on his
"round up" and find him ready to call
an officer.
When caught he found that the best
way was to look bis man squarely in
the eye and say:
"This is my way Of doing business;
you have yours. At any rate, no
reputable jeweler In this town can say
that in any way misrepresented these
glasses when told you that they were
solid gold There is no law to COM
pei you to loan me FIVE dollars and
no law to prevent me from asking you
for q loan, so what's going to be done
about it,"
He said that he found this plan much
better than to cringe and attempt an
apology or explanation,
The last time l saw this old graft
err whisky had gotten the better Of
him and he was nearing the end of his
career.