Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-10-18
TAKING FROM RICH
How a Newly Wealthy Pittsburgh
Man Was FleeCed.
Mr.. Murdoch Met AffabIe Stranger
Who Published Autobiograpnies,
and In Due Course Of Time Is
Separated from Much Money.

IlllSDurRn, Pat was IN the late
SOS that Pittsburgh suddenly found IL
self plutOcratic. Iron had flowed into
town from the ore fields. changed into
steel In tho blast furnaces. and, by
happy modern miracle. finally Us
gold banked To the credit OF thou
sands of surprised. half deliriOus citi-
Zens. Trade was stimulated beyond
belief. spending was lavish: heads
were turned. Pittsburgh became the
capital OF gold
or course, following prosperity Ike
Nemesis, IN trooped tho vultures Of
civilization Crooks of all the known
varieties swarmed through the town
for decade. TeapinR the fat har-
vest with an ease aud daring that
were clamorcd half way around the
world-and in particular the under
world
Tho police could do much to sup
press crimes of violence. it was not
so simple To thwart the vultures who
preyed upon the gullability OF the
/ newly rich. Confidence games were
successfully worked in As many forms
as there were confidence men to in
vent them. | do not believe that any
police officer in the world was ever
| confronted with as many preposterous-
ly obvious methods of separating hon
est men from their money.
The case of William Murdoch is In
/ point. Mr.. Murdoch was a pillar of the
community. man whose business
| sense had helped make Pittsburgh
what it was On a certain Saturday
| afternoon he emerged from throng-
ed barber shop and was accosted by
a pleasant looking fellow outside.
why. Mr. Murdoch, how do you
do" cried the pedestrian. holding out
! his hand.
The benevolent financier paused. ad.
! justed his spectacles and tried to place
the young mans face. He failed. but
| being a firm believer In sociabil-
ity, as we'll as the other>institutions of
Pittsburgh life. he fell into the
strangers pace, ventured a remark on
the weather and pursued both that
/ topic and his companions foot
steps until they reached Grant street,
a part OF the town fairly unfamiliar
to him.
Upstairs I've got the finest history
OF Pittsburgh and its prominent citi.
zens that has been written" said the
tempter at that point. Your name
and your picture come first In the
book. I've been looking for you for
week Don't want to sell you the
book. you know-it ia not a CONNER
cial venture. Only we need another
detail or two about your life. Won't
you step up and see the proofs?"
The old gentleman assembled with
alacrity. They learned from youth
in the office that the proofs had been
sent to the New York printer one
short hour before. The conversation,
extended now to three, was genial,
however, and continuous. Mr.. Muir
! dock had risen to leave twice before
the talk drifted to lotteries. specula,
ton and the like-a Fascinating sub
ject Of which Mr. Murdoch prided him
, self thai he know no mean amount
The two men produced a new apparat-
us. q contraption of the chuck-a-luck
order. which the business man pres
entity found himself whirling with
something nearer the gamblers pas
sion than he had known In all his eau
tious career
In ten minutes Mr. Murdoch had
won $4,000. The winnings. In large
yellow bills, were taken from q
safe and spread before him on the
table.
But OF course we can't pay that
over to YOU" said one Of the men,
until you have assured US that we
would not have lost our money II the
game had gone the other way. Ten
thousand dollars-not a check. you
know, but the kind of bills that lie
there on the table-youd do as
guaranty OF good faith"
One OF Pittsburgh's safest business
men considered a moment. then pa
tiently started out to assure the gen
tlemen Of his sincerity. At his bank
he succeeded in obtaining four $500
gold certificates, one package oil
81, 800 In bills of $50 and 500 demon
nations and another $1,000 package
OF greenbacks of the same size from
gasping cashier. causing a hurried
replenishment of the banks cash from
neighboring institution. Mr.. Muir
dock found his new friend waiting for
him at the banks entrance. and to
gether they made their way back to
the Grant street Office and the gam
bling wheel.
The fascinated old gentleman played
again and again. Ten thousand dollars
of his money and half that amount OF
the strangers money were the stakes
on the table In half an hour Mr..
Murdoch was informed that the ca
prices Of the chuck-a-luck wheel had
deprived him Of the rightful ownership
OF not only his $4,000 winning but OF
his $4,000 guaranty OF good faith.