Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-09-07
WORKED FLIMFLAM GAME
Two Negroes Relieved Burling.
ton Merchants Of Money.
Were Chased by the Police hut Get
Away, Only to he Arrested on n
Trnin mt AlburG Sunday and
Drought to jail.

Two COIOreu men, VINO gave tnelr names
to the police James Harris and Joseph
Adams, but VINO went under other names
TO other people. care TO town from some
where SATURDAY and attempted several
sorts of different flimham games which
resulted in their arrest sunday noon
at Alburg, when they were on their way
to Montreal on the Eagles excursion.
The field of operations was over a large
part of the business section of the town
and probably all of tho work done by
them has not been reported to the police.
One of the first stores visited was Cot
trill's jewelry store on College street,
and in addition to this they went to the
Concord Candy Kitchen. the store of W.
E. Peters the florist the pool room of
Harry Dllloway and the tailor shop of p.
A. Levin.
At Cottrll's they ostensiblv went in to
buy collar button and rendered in pay
ment a ten dollar bill Mr.. Cottrili, who
waited on them, became suspicious that
they We're looking for his money and took
this method to induce him to produce his
cash. He replied that he could not
change the bill They then wanted to
look al some diamond rings and although
he had a stock, he would not produce
them for the same reason that he did not
show his money. Their next request was
for some field glasses and as the propre-
tor was reaching for some in he window
he turned suddenly, and was in time 20
see one of the men put a cane through
the glass of a show case, Wher' there
were some valuable rings. The negro I'M
mediately put his hands in. when MI
Cottril told him to take them out. This
command was not at once oheyed and
the man continued to feel about the rings.
saying that he was taking out tho glass.
lie was then told mat he must pay for
the glass but refused to do so. Finally,
at the mention Of police, both went out
of the store and as Mr.. Cottrill was GO
ing TO the door they dashed UP the street
and around a corner.
The ten dollar bill was in evidence in
all of the other places and here their
work was smoother and in some cases
more successful. In some of the places
they worked alone. At the Concord
Candy Kitchen, one entered and rendered
ten dollar bill in payment for some
chewing gum He, by this means, got
some of the firms money out and then
commenced to confuse the clerk, first
claiming that he had received too much
money in change. and then. after much
counting and changing of the bills from
one to the other, he went out Of the store
with a five dollar bill to the good. He was
careful to have no one watch him, and
when one of the CLERKS came along
to look on, he was sent for a quart Of
Ice cream at once. This was the plan
pursued at the flower store and so
smoothly was the trick done that in nell
Their store was the fact that five dollars
had been stolen discovered until the days
cash was counted at night At the flower
store so clever was his acting that moth
ing was suspected although ne Went back
three times.
At the tailor shop the man thought to
ne Adams. struck a clerk severely in the
mouth and was chased by the police down
through the alleyways in the rear but
made his escape. He tried the same game
with the ten dollar bill here ana tried to
confuse the clerk, whom he asked to
press his coat. p. A. Levin, the propre-
tor, saw into the game and knew when
lie lost sight OF the five dollar BILL He
spoke of the police and went after them,
telling the clerk to hold the man II
was here that the clerk was struck and
after the blow the man made his cs-
cape. These are all OF tho places known
by the police to have been visited by the
men with the exception of a store on St
Paul street where they We're unsuccess-
ful
Sunday morning It was learned that
he men and a woman. who had accom-
panied them, had been seen getting on
he excursion train. All three had spent
he night previous at a boarding house
ID,