The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-09-28
New York Telegraph)


patches still tell us of another trusting
native who has parted with hard cash ,
in exchange for a bogus gold brick,
but year after year the number grows
less. The truth of the matter is that ,
| just about as many suckers" take the
old gold brick bait in these days as at
any period in the past, the only differ !
ence being that the brick is sold in a
different form and in such a manner
that the victim dares not complain.
| The system of disposing of brass on
a gold basis was inauguarated shortly
after the close of the Civil War and
was worked successfully for twenty
years. The old idea was crude in the
extreme compared to the present high
ly developed plan which is aimed at
only the man known to possess wealth
and an elastic conscience. Today on
ly "stolen gold' is offered for sale at
cut rates, and the buyer is thus made
party to the crime. Moreover, after
the deal is consummated the purchas-
for a means has been provided to re-
lieve him of it's before he reaches
home, and thus even the evidence of
the swindle disappears. This is why
the police hear few complaints from
those who have been fleeced.
When thieves lifetd fortune in gold
dust from the treasure chests of a re-
turning Alaskan steamer few years
ago the newspapers laid the founda-
stion for hundreds of swindles in imi-
tation gold, running in the aggregate,
no doubt, to many thousands of dollars,
for the first requisite in successful
gold swindling game is newspaper
clipping Of just such theft.
The conspirators descending upon a
city quickly get in touch with local
semi-crook known as ''steerer." This
man has in all probability acted as a
go-between many times for thieves
and those who are willing to purchase
stolen property, and he is taken into
the secret. Armed with the clipping
descriptive of a recent gold theft he
, calls on the most likely victim. He
explains that the thieves and the hoard
of stolen riches are now in the city
and that the former are badly fright.
ened. Likewise they are "broke," but
afraid to turn loose" any of the gold
for fear of fall" They are describ
, ed as ignorant desperadoes who do not
even know that gold is sold by Troy
) weight instead of 1G ounces to the
1 pound. They can, therefore, be cheat
ed out of 25 per cent of their ill-sotter
S gains, al of which can be bought al
y $G0o a pound.
y If he fence" is any sort of crook
, ed gambler he is keen to see the vel
low wealth at once. Accordingly ;
r meeting is arranged for that night a
e the headquarters of the gang, usual!
l. in the back room of some third-rat'
S hotel. At the appointed hour thu
l. "steerer" and the prospective buyer ar
y rive. Two blue-spectacled individuals
! made up to resemble rough Western
party has sized the ether up for
sufficient time to be convinced of mu
tual sincerity heavy chest is un
. clasped and bag after bag of yellow
emptied on large sheet of paper ant
make an imposing heap. The visitor
lr run their hands through the simmer
u ing treasure and the eyes of the com
on" grow large with anticipation.
Naturally the dealer in stolen good
wants to be convinced of the genuine
ness of the pile. Straightway one O
'r the conspirators produces piece @
q tissue paper and the victim is told t
- help himself to a sample. This h
:, does, placing the dust in the paper hel
-, by the thief. If he attempts to TAX
At too much some of it is brushed of
Il. Iaughingly, with the remark that it
a. not sawdust he is taking away. Havin
Of reduced the sample to about the siz
m of a twenty-five-cent piece, the "rol
H. ber" proceeds to fold the contents G
" A moment later he has shifted pacl
!; ages, handing the sucker" one c
,v identical size and shape, containing tn
ID filings of ten-dollar gold piece. Th
D. subsequent test of this sample is, c
Id course, intensely satisfactory.
is On the following night the sam
IS, "steerer" and his confiding cOmpaI
n ion prepare to complete the purchase
Just before starting the "steerer' ma
~ ~ suggest the advisability of obtaining
In small bottle of nitric acid. When tn
10 gold" is again exhibited 1t is propose
,c. to dash the contents of this bottle on
IS. as a final test. If the yellow metf
turns green the fraud will be instantl
exposed. Visiting drugstore the tw
mi a