The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-09-24
Man PEDDLINC
PHONY RINGS
IS LOCKED UP
Arkansan Tells Pedestrians
He's Hungry, Then Pawns
Brass Band.
GLOVER GILL PAID
FOUR BITS FOR ONE
And Then Found Gold Was Brass
and Diamond Was
Glass.

A "hardluck" gentleman, who yes
terday began to work the Cape with
an antique ICON" game selling "phony"
rings, was arrested by Patrolman Ed
ward Beeve after he had made his first
sale to Glover Gill, engineer at the
Cape Laundry.
The man gave his name as Ray
Knott of Brinkley, Ark, and said that
he had been in the Cape only two days
: when he encountered the patrolman.
A box of more than a dozen "rings"
was found in one of his pockets when
he was searched.
This is how he "took in" Glover Gill:
Gill was preparing to start his after
moons work yesterday when the
stranger approached him at the laun-
dry and inquired what were the
chances of getting a job. Glover adj
mitted that he didn't think there were
any stray jobs about, so the man be-
came confidential.
"You know it's hard to find work
these days." he began.
"Yes, l guess that's So" Glover re-
piled. Glover has been kept himself
employed, but he made his reply just
on general principles.
81 amt had anything to eat for two
whole days." the stranger continued.
81 hate to ask man to give me any
thing, but I'll tell you what I'll do"
He pulled off a ring and showed it
to Glover. 'I'd like to get a little
something on this ring, if 1 could to
get me something to eat. You can see
it, here take it and examine it."
He handed it over, and Glover found
that there were initials and date on
the inside. az to F, June 8, 1910"
they read That had a smack of gen
uineness for Glover.
"I'lI give you so cents for it."
ats worth more, but tell you what
I'll do. I'll let you have it as security
for loan. III be back tomorrow, and
by that time can get more money and
III give you a dollar to get it back.
How will that be-"
Glover assented to the agreement
and began searching his clothes for
the four-bits. He didn't have a cent to
his name on his person.
He rushed inside the laundry to in
terview the foreman. He was careful
not to tell the fOrmena that he was
going to use the money with which to
buy ring for fear the foreman might
beat his time.
He dissembled that it simply was
charity of heart on his part, and that
he simply was donating the so cents
to the hungry stranger. The foreman
was able to locate only 40 cents.
Whereupon Glover returned to his
erstwhile friend and "jewed" him
down to 40 cents on the ring. They
did business and parted.
The foreman examined the ring
carefully. 1t sparkled and glittered IN
the sunshine and the gold" shone with
ardor. 1t was a real diamond, beyond
question.
The foreman was skeptical, how
ever, and when he got to looking at
lie ring longer he found seam about
the inside of the band. He immediate
ly pronounced it brass.
Glover then tried it out in all the
laundry acids he could find. The brass
began to show up in great shape, but
the sparkler retained its spark.
The foreman and Glover proceeded
to "frame-up" to "gig" one of the
drivers, forthwith and sell it to him
for dollar. They agreed that if they
could palm it off on the driver for 81
they would be ahead of the game any
way.
The driver was new country lad,
green to the ways of econ"
games and the same of jewelry.
81 want to borrow dollar on this
ing" Glover approached the lad. 81
nave to go to the baseball game to-
morrow and l can't get my money
ret"
The boy looked once at the ring and
hook his head.
81 knew that for a phony the min
tie put eyes on if" he said. "I1l loan
'ou the dollar but you don't have to
nut up that as security, in fact I'd
ather not have anything but your
Tord in a case like this"
Glover was saddled with the "gem."
When he failed to get rid of it, he
mashed it and called Beeve to arrest
he vendor who passed it off upon him.