The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-12-22


a quite possible that you may meet
a man of distinguished manner.
7ultless dress and highly polished speech
Who will gracefully manage TO turn the
conversation to horse racing. Presently
he will tell you in whispered confidence
that he knows Of way to play the races
and always be a sure winner. Later on
he will suggest
But don't let him waste any further
breath. Just ask him to pardon you for a
minute. step to the nearest telephone booth
and tell Police Headquarters. all about it.
Do precisely the same thing If You meet
in the lobby of your hotel retired bHsi
ness man who explains how real. honest
togoodness gold mine can be had for a
mere song by advancing a few thousand
dollars to dying mining engineer
And when you find in your mail letter
from convict in some Spanish prison
who needs only little capital to recover
. princely buried treasure turn II over to
the police and let them answer it for you.
The more plausible the scheme for
making money easily and the more we'll
presenting IL appears, the more you must
beware-that is, unless you have so much
money that you don't mind throwing few
thousands away.
The reason for all this caution is that
Charles Gondorf, the sleekest, shrewdest.
most deceptive confidence man that ever
preyed upon the public, is at large again.
And II his appetite for other peoples
money is as keen as it was before he was
sent 10 Sing Sing he may this very minute
be setting one of his cunning traps for you.
No one can safely consider himself proof
against the wiles of supercrook such as
Gondorf has been for twenty years. Hun
dreds Of business and professional men of
the highest standing have fallen surpris-
ingly easy prey to him. and each time the
swindlers trap was sprung the unfortu-
nate victim lost at least a small frotune.
. II cost Daniel c. Curry, former comp
troller Of the city OF Winnipeg, Just S64,-
900 for allowing the benevolent man of
leisure whom he met at French Lick
Springs to "let him in on the ground floor"
Of scheme to blk New York pool room
out Of a cool half million.
Forty-three thousand dollars was she
price Arnold 2. Swantine, a wellknown
Ohio ply stefan, paid for believing what a
chance acquaintance on the goth Century
Limited, who displayed letters of introduc-
tiO1 from two Of Cleveland's leading bank
ers, had to say about a mythical consump-
tive en- gineer and his mine.
OrIO Barnard and J. S. Nutley, of Pors-
land, Oregon, were firmly convinced that
a certain distinguished elderly gentleman
was the authorized agent Of Spanish con-
vi. who needed financial aid to reeover
100000 worth of buried treasure. Before
81 finished dining with him one night In
his luxurious suite at the Waldorf-Astoria
hey handed him certified checks for S37,-
600. Needless to say they never saw their
genial host again and they have only the
memory OF a delicious dinner to show for
their lifetime savings
Experiences like these show what every
body with a little money will have to
guard against more than ever now that
Gondorf is free again. The total stealings
of the band Of swindling experts Of which
he was (and possibly still is) the brains
and leader run high into the millions
During the year 1912 alone the New York
police estimated that gullible men and