The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-09
HOW ONE GAME WORKS
Selling Gold Bricks is Too Crude to
Try, SO Another Plan is Fol
lowed to Get Victims
Money.

>
PARIS, Sept Americans arel
the prize come-ons of the universe
according to the Paris police. The
home of the original gold-brick.
America furnishes the European po-
lice with the most victims of conf
dence men
Paris detectives are chuckling over
the gullibility of the willy Yank. He
seems to be a child among pirates,
veritable innocent abroad, incapable
of looking out for himself, eager to
confide his fat wallet to the first man
wearing a collar who 4 SKIS him for it. |
So say the police and the facts bear
them out.
Recently two men giving the names
| OF John Williams and Van Cosey land |
ed in Paris The detectives charged |!
with looking after suspicious strang-
| ers. took them in tow. They had rea
| sons for believing them to be mem
bers of an international gang of conf
dence workers
! Pretty soon Williams, who stopped
at one of the principal hotels, made
the acquaintance of an American
named O'Reilly. Williams was well
dressed and had way with him; the
American liked him SO we'll he visit
ed several places of interest in his
company. The detectives noted that
Van Cosey followed the two every
where they went. He always carried
a valise.
4 One day O'Reilly, always with Will
liams, went to the bank and cashed
a check for $1,000. AS they came out
they saw man, carrying vaIise,
drop large pocketbook; both men
made rush to pick it up, Williams
winning. Van Cosey COT course it was
he) was profuse in his thanks Open
ing the purse he showed a roll of Ion
green that would choke tunnel He
was going to make a gift to the pope
(this being the dying request of his
father) of many thousands of dollars.
: In fact, he was so laden with money
that he was uncomfortable. He did
not sleep nights for fear of being rob-
bed
BY this time Van Cosey had Will
Eliams and OReilly at cafe near the
, Northern station. They had a drink
together. Would Williams and O'Reli.
ly help him out, each by taking
charge of some of his coin? In that
way he would stand less chance of a
big loss by being robbed.
Williams consented to share Van
Cosey's burden. But how do | know
you won't run away and leave me?"
Van Cosey laughingly asked Will
liams. Williams to prove that he was
perfectly honest, gave Van Cosey a
big roll to hold while he (Williams)
and O'Reilly took walk around the
square When they returned it was
O'Reilly's turn to take charge Of
some of the coin. Van Cosey turned
the whole valise over to him, taking
the $1,000 of O'Reilly's to prove
O'Reilly an honest man.
But this money of yours is French
money, smiled the goodnatured Van
Cosey. I'm not familiar with French
1000 franc notes"
Come on said Williams, III go
N WIN you across lDe street 10 the
Northern station and the money
changer can tell you the moneys o.
k Then to O'Reilly, you wait here
ri watch him and keep him from get
ting away"
With a good, wide-mouthed laugh.
Williams led Van Cosey away, ana
into the hands of the watching French
detectives.
O'Reilly got his money back by the
skin of his teeth and the watchfulness
of the local police.
The French call this brand of hold
up lie vol a iAmerican,' or the
American hold-up." 1t is always the
same, never varying an iota save as
to the names of the victims. Scarcely
a week passes that the papers fail to
chronicle such robbery, most of the
time with the confidence-men making
their getaway.
William Youle, Californian, aged