The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-18
HOW THE WIRE TAPPING
GAME Is WORKED


The wire tapping game looks plaus-
ible enough to the uninitiated stran-
ger. The operators of the scheme are
innocent looking enough.
They first let the victim in on "a
good thing" which, however, must
be worked quiuetly" as it is against
the law.
This interests the victim, for he is
usually willing to make money wheth-
er it is in legal manner or not.
Then it is explained that the opera
tors of the scheme have tapped the
telegraph wire connected with tracks
where horse racing is in progress, and
that confidential tips are received
here which will enable those who are
in on the game to make plenty of
easy money.
Some kilograms are produced fake
of course.
The betting begins, generally in
some suburban house selected for the
purpose.
The house is wired inside, but if the
victim took the trouble to investigate
he would find that the wire do not
extend further than the inside walls
of the house. An operator in one
room, sending messages to another
in some other part of the house, with
the constant click of the telegraph in
strument impresses the victim won
derfully at times and the result is
that he wagers his ready cash, puts
up checks and finally realizes that he
has parted company with his cash and
credit and the tappers have it all.
His one consolation is that he may
do better next time" and if he has
not caught on to the game he may
try it again and again until he gets
| wise
One house wired for this purpose
has been under suspicion for some
time, in the vicinity of Lemon City,
but the operators received a friendly
tip that they were being watched and
the raid on the house was not made,
Miami Not to Blame
A Miami citizen who has been here
| some seasons, commenting on the
wire tapping caase and other fraudu-
lent games, said yesterday:
81 think the public should be warn
ed not to go into games of chance
or projects with strangers in which
! they are promised big returns through
questionable methods. Some of the
shrewdest crooks of the country fol.
low the crowds during the winter time
looking for easy victims. and there
are numerous methods for playing
their game.
| Very naturally these we'll dressed
crooks come to Miami, and they min.
gle with the best of people sometimes
without creating the least suspicion
This cannot be charged to Miamians
Our own people are not responsible
for impositions of this kind The crook
comes from other places. and when
we can locate him here we deal with
him according to law.
IF our friends from other states
would only use the same care here
that they exercise at home. and re
port to the authorities all schemes OF
this character and give the officers
an opportunity to run them down, q
is possible that the business of the
confidence man in Miami would be re
duced to a minimum and that hi
would be forced to seek more produc
Itive fields.'
One Case That Failed
One case in the wire tapping opera
lions in Miami this season is reported
in which the operators seem to hav,
gotten the worst of it, They selected
their victim, the betting on horse,
was fast and furious, and the victim
put up check after check on his bank
When the operators ceased for tn,
night the crooks reid the victim
checks for amounts aggregating int,
thousands of dollars. but it has beef
ascertained that the victim had n.
more than $25 on deposit in bank an,
that all of his property at home is il
the name of his wife, who is said t
be conscientiously opposed to payin
gambling debts or cashing check
given by her husband incident to play