Evening star., 1912-09-01
A Short t-Change Artist.

A DOCBLE-HEADER between the Ma
tonals and one OF the western clubs
recently was the magnet that was draw
ing the thousands in through the gates
OF the base ball park at Florida avenue
and 9Th street The ticket sellers had aH
they could do in attending TO the wants
OF the fans that faced them. Up near the
front of one of the lines at the grand
stand ticket booth a thin, rat-faced fell
low stood clutching a dollar bill in hts
hand, waiting his turn tn bly, his ticket.
Those in front of him secured their paste
boards. and the thin fellow showed his
dollar bill in the window
'One in the grandstand'' he said
The ticket man took the dollar, showed
ont ticket and quarter in change
Hey, what Yer doing?" yelled the rat
faced one. Il gave you a five-dollar bill.'
'Oh, no; you're mistaken. Ii was a
dollar bill. Don't try TO hand that stun
at me. I'm wise. If YOU don't beat it
away from that window and let those
gentlemen buy their seats I'll call a
liceman. You've worked that little scheme
out here several times this season. md
it's about time you are fading away"
His BLUM called, the thin young fellow
crept out to the street like whipped dog.
He gave his ticket to a newsboy on the
corner. and hurried off down eth street.
The ticket seller was pretty indignant
over the matter, and didn't hesitate To
talk over the AFFAIR with a bystandcr
after the crowds had gone into the park.
Yes. they try all sorts of schemes TO
get ahead Of US out here. but we've got
them down pretty pat. Ii isn't the base
ball fan that We have to contend with.
These fellows that come out here think
ing to take advantage of the confusion to
get the better of us never go inside OF
the park. even after they get their tick
cts. There's a gang of them. and think
they must all work together. One OF
their plans is for two Of them to get in
line together very close to each other.
The first one will hand in a dollar and
call for a fifty or seventy-hce cent
ticket. When he gets his change he'll
make wild yell about handing over the
change for five-dollar bill.
..The ticket seller will feel sure that the
man only gave him a dollar. and tell
him so. While they are arguing over the
matter the second man will step forward
and say that he saw the first man give
the ticket man a five-dollar bill This
confederate is usually well dressed man.
and his statement will cause the man be-
hind the window some doubts. The crowd
is chafing at the delay and the upshot Of
the matter is that the crook goes on with
425 of our money.
why don't We have them arrested!
Well, they don't come around very often
now, and then when you've got a big
crowd of people In front OF you waiting
to buy tickets you haven't got the time
to leave the window and grab one oc
them. Then when they first began to OPP
crate we didn't feel sure enough that We
hadn't made a mistake in the confusion,
and SO we had to let them get away with
IL.
LAS / have said. il isn't the base bali
fans-it's just a gang of petty crooks that
will always take advantage of any large
gathering of people to work off one of
their little schemes. We have got them
pretty well spotted now and are seldom
bothered with them"