The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-05-17
From Being FIeeced by
Bunko Men.
SHARPERS At AN OLD GAME
Innocent Old Man Was Almost
Persuaded to Give
Up Cash.
AN INCIDENT OF CIRCUS DAY

The th0ugnttulneSs OF CaSnler w
E. Wooten, of the Madisonvill'
Savings Bank, prevented ]. R. Ma
soncup, an old gentleman of this
city, from being skinned out of $500
Saturday by sharpers who had the
old man "going some"
Mr.. Masoncup was well known
to Mr.. Wooten, both having come
from the Hanson country. He &C
cumulated a modest competency on
farm and moved to jacksonville
several years ago on account of ad-
vancing age. Mr.. Wooten was ia
miliar with his financial condition
and his peculiarities.
When Mr. Masoncup appeared at
the bank Saturday morning about
eleven o'clock, and wanted to draw
out $500 in cash, the cashier sug-
gested that it was somewhat dan
gerous for a man of his age to have
that much money about him on cir
Gus day and advised Mr.. Masoncup
to give his check to whoever he in
tended to pay the money. He told
him in that way he would run no
risk whatever of losing the money
or being robbed. The old gentle
man informed the cashier that the
man he was to pay 1t to told him
he wanted nothing but the money.
The cashier urged the old man not
to take the money and finally pre-
vailed on him to take a certified
check for the amount, but consid-
erably against his will in the mat
ter. Shortly before one o'clock Mr..
Masoncup again saw the cashier and
told him the man wouldn't take the
check. but wanted the cash.
The cashier began to smell a
mouse. He reasoned that If it was
a legitimate transaction about the
of money for anything the
old man owed or had just bought,
the party would have no objection
to taking a certified check and step
ping down to the bank and having
1t cashed. II occurred to him that
a skin game was framed up and
that sharpers had hold of him. In
order to gain time, the cashier told
him it would be a few minutes be-
fore the bank opened and took him
in a private room and began to. talk
10 him. He explained to Mr.. Ma
soncup that something must be
wrong about the party not wanting
TO take a check-a certified one
that was as good as money itself in
any straight transaction. He beg
ged him to confide the facts to him.
After much persuasion the old
man told Mr.. Wooten that nice
looking man had approached him
and wanted him to take an electric
belt and give a testimonial about
It's merits. The nice gentleman told
him If he could get such testimo-
NAL, it would enable him to sell ev-
erybody around here a belt, as he
understood he was a man who stood
high. The nice man offered to pay
him $500 in cash for the testimo-
NAL but before he would do so, Mr..
must show that he had
as much as $500, as 'oof of his
A pal. a large, fine
looking fellow, who gave his name
as Davis, was present and had
agreed to give a testimonial and
produced his $500, whereupon the
belt man counted him out $500
and took his testimonial. The old
nan inquired where Davis lived
and he replied, why, live just
south of town." The old man had
never seen the man, but the name
Davis sounded good to him and
seeing him receive $500 for the tes-
.imonial about the belt, upon show
ng the belt man that he had $500
old man Masoncup struck
out for the bank to get his $500 to
show the belt man.
In the meantime Walter Gatlin
lad come in and he helped to ease
he old man down, but it was after
1 great deal of explanation that it
was a sharper's trick and much en-
.reaty that they finally induced the
I'D man to let the money stay. FL
lally Marshal Grady was called for
the old mans knowing 1t.
was sent with him to his home
Ind the matter explained to his
laughter and she persuaded the old
nan to leave the certified check
With her and It was returned to the
rank for cancellation.
There is no doubt In the world
tut what the old man would have