The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-30
AN OLD COLD BRICK
Used For Fleeing the Innocents
a Generation Ago.
THE PATENT SAFE SWlNDLE.


orally Caught tho Coin and Sent tho
eswildered Nct.m Out Of Town In a
Hurry For Fear < Arrest.
Although the essentials of fmposture
remain unchanged from generation to
generation, 30 that the rogue of today
would have no trouble IN recognizing
bis counterpart Of the seventeenth CEN
tnry. nevertheless there are fashions
IN thievery. as tn everything else. Old
tricks are cast OF like threadbare
coats IN favr of newer ones and
these IN turn are discarded when pub
Lefty has rendered them familiar and
therefore less effective, but plausibility
and address are the indispensabl BILE
Qualities Of the gentry who live By
their wits.
The newest type Of confidence man
Is the get-rich-cuick individual who
breathes OF money and wouldn't turn
his hand to small lob" He angles
for victims with new corporations anC
great business ventures for bait. but
he is the same man who O generation
ago raked in the sheckels by means of
the patent safe game This game ia
now an outworn fashion. But it had
its points.
Let rs suppose a countryman. car
petbag In hand. to have alighted at
the union station and set out to see
the sights Although his name Is con.
veniently printed on the outside Of his
bag or set down In legible hand on
the hotel register, he Is amazed to find
himself Hospitality greeted by an utter
stranger. who knows his name and
the town from which he halls. The
stranger Is an old friend whom the
countryman Is ashamed to- think be
cannot rememberAplace Is the word.
But the stranger Il very afrable and
Lays himself out to entertain the new.
conner. They etron about town in
company. visit bar OF two. exchange
reminisceDces and at the end Of few
hours are bosom companions The
stranger Invariably pays the score. has
lordly disdatn of money; good te.-
bowship b its own reward
The two stroll BY devtous ways until
finally while they are walking arm In
arm down a quiet byetreet the stran-
gers eyeis caught By q curious object
lying On the pavement He pauses 30
exami1se 4 70 n q miniature globe
about the efDe Of q billiard ball The
st<HngE turns Il over curio0s{y fn his
fingers dnd finally sees that II Is fitted
WITH a email Plug, which comes out
under PRESSURE Continuing his ex-
plOratfuns, he then unecrews the too
o6 the peug. takes out a piece Of crum-
pied p0pec. shows bis dupe the empty
box and throws the paper on the
ground There 10 similar biz Of pa
per In the smaIl chamber at the end
Of the plug. but thts the countryman
does not zee. The two then stroll on.
discussing Che mysterious BAN.
Presently they come upon O wuFrfed
hooking man. who Is studying the
ground with face the pattern OF de-
spair. Tue roper observes him and
wants to know whether be has lost
something.
Lost sOmeth1n& indeed~ says the
man. why. I've lost IN invention Of
mine that wouldn't have taken S1O,-
GOO for. It was O patent Are safe
which would save hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars worth Of papers and
vaiuables every year. was Just on
my way 10 Blank & BlankA the safe
manufacturers to get one made and
here have lost tho model
The roper is evidently much touched
by the inventors distress He pro-
duces the wooden globe and Il imme-
diateiy overwhelmed with expressions
Of gratitude
But what good Is that Invention of
yours? esks the roper.
WELL Gays the inventor with pride,
you see. It is yet On props When there
Is fire all you hive to do Is TO knock
out the props and the safe rolls down
an incline right ont Of the building as
neat us you please. There's a box In
side to hold the papera There is
paper in this box right now."
At that the roper winks slyiy at the
farmer and whispers In hts ear. 'T'u
make him q bet ON that piece Of
paper"
Come says the roper. that's
pretty tall yarn. don't believe there's
any paper In that ball I'll bet there
isn't scrap Of paper in It"
"17i bet you 81 900 there's paper In
IT," says the inventor, much incensed
Il haven't that much with me-" says
the roper. "but I'll Just bet you hun.
dred on It, With that he takes out
number of bills, say $50 or so, and
bank check for the other $50. To his
friend the farmer he says. "Wnl you
just lend me $50 on this check until
can got TO my hOtelP'
The farmer secs that his friend Is
sure to win. He advances the $50.
when. behold. the inventor draws out
the plug. removes the concealed paper
from its small chamber and collects
A.@A