Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1915-02-26
SW|NDLES Of
A Bic CITY
By W. 0. Jones, of Mt.
Vernon
MEMBER OF NEW
YORK DETECTIVE FORCE

SIGNAL readers will possibly
be Interested in some of the many
swindles perpetrated on strang-
ers and migrants who come to
this City and with which 1 come
in contact in my position as De-
tective in the Police Department
of the City of New York. The
following are some of them:
DROPPING THE LEATHER
This is very simple swindle.
The operator or his confederate
walks in front of the victim and
drops a pocket book which is i'm
mediately picked up ia front of
the victim, and the operator opens
the pocketbook and usually finds
two or three one dollar bills which
are good money and a one hun
dred dollar which is counter6t
there is usually quarrel between
the victim and the operator and
finally the operator agrees to di,
vide with the victim suggesting
tlat they not go Immediately and
a I'd change such a large bill but
that they wait until the next day
to avoid all suspicion. The oper.
ator allows the victim to keep the
money but as they are unknown
to each other he asks the victim i'll
he has not got enough money or
Valuables with him to come to half
OF the amount of what they have
found, that he give him what he
has, and that he will meet him at /
4 designated place the following
day. Of course he does not meet +
The victim who soon finds out that
MS supposed treasure is a fake.
BOGUS AUCTIONS" II
Bogus auctions are carried on
the same as legitimate auctions
With the exception, that several
'CAPPERS" or fake bidders are
Used to BOOST" the prices. Wei
nave several store4 here, mostly
ewelry and trinket stores, which
lave large posters announcing
hat they must sell at once nv
Iuctlon, all their goods as the own.
RS have gone into bankruptcy
These places have been selling out
or the past eight years to nv
knowledge and the things thew
lave look good bnt are not worth
nuch.
GREEN GOODS"
The victim is communicate
Win by letter in which he is en-
'iosed a genuine one dollar. bill,
'urportlng to show the result of a
perfect QUEER. He is invit.
ID to come to the city THE victim
selected being a man out
II town.. When Complied with
lie is met at the station by one of
he operatorsand brought to the
lace where the scheme is to be
perated and which is known as
he Turning joint. Here the
ictim is shown e bag containing
cal money; the deal is then made
or the purchase of the same but
Turing the interval the bag is c
hanged for similar one, which Il
$ filled with green paper cut in St
he size and shape of real bills a
IN top of each fake bundle is b
'laced a good bill, which acts as q c
Steer" to the green paper. II
LEMON GAME" n
This is operated in a Pool or =.
Parlor, where the victim is -
invited to play and is matched p
gainst some Shark" (Profes F
ional player). The victim is al. II
owed to win the first game. bat i
'hen the stakes are. high enough !, :,
e is swtndled out of all he has. Il
"PIcKPocKETs"
Plckpockets work in GANGS of d
hree or four. One of the "Mot,,l &
S thieves call a gang, is known as u
ne TOOL" who makes the dip Il
r does the actual stealins. the
theirs of the mob" are "Stalls" a,
'ho crowd the victim, SHOWING Al
nd pushing him or obstructino e,
rs way, making it easy for the Ii
Tool" to pick his pocket. Pick. N
ocKets are, as rule, well dress. e,
d young men. There are verv "
ew old men In the CRAFT y
hey usually work on crowded.