The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-01-10
CROOKS OPERATING
IN TAMPA FAIL TO
LAND A VICTIM

This mornings Tampa Tribune
says:
| Right on the heels of persistent >rl-
mors that Tampa was headquarters
/ for wiretappers and confidence game
men, and that the city had more than
| its just share of this class of unde-
sirables to prey on the unsuspectign,
is the sorry of one man who was al
most duped, and yea who almost led
the way to one of these gangs being
caught on the job. Only his utmost
confidence in the men who were on
the trail of his bank account spoiled
what might have been a coup and n
foundation on which the police might
have built net to scoop up such OPP
orators as are working here now.
| So impressed was this man with
the idea thct he was going to get
some easy money on sure thing"
that he told one of the gang that a
friend of his had come from his home
to investigate this proposition, not
believing it was true.
Look Out for trangers
When the gang learned this, they
were up and gone, and with them the
paraphernalia consisting Of black
boards, telegraph instruments and
other material that had set up in
house in the vicinity Of Palma Celia
Park
The plan which was to have feeced
This visitor started on a small scale
as all of them start Picking up the
acquaintance of an accomplished
stranger and enjoying his company
for several days, the pair were in the
Tampa Bay grounds one morning
when man came by counting large
roll of money, stopping carelessly
where the two men were sitting. Con-
versation developed, the man intro
duced himself and went through the
old form of telling how he got the
money betting on the horse races and
making a play that seemed perfectly
straight. The first stranger who had
developed the acquaintance with the
wealthy tourist asked the man with
the money If he could place small
bet for him and presently the victim
to-be had little money down on a
race. won and bet again, and won.
Each time the stakes increased and
where the game had started with
1t developed into the thousand dollar
class. 1t was then that ready cash
was scarce and the confidence men,
\ protesting against checks, the tourist
left the state to get real money, In
the meantime, he had been taken to
a house in the vicinity of Palm Celia
| Park, by roundabout route where
the racing layout was located.
Decided to investigate
/ When he reached his home, he
1spoke of the easy money down here
to lawyer, a close friend, and the
latter, seeing something crooked, Of
ifered to accompany him to Tampa,
lon the return trip. They came to.
Igether, the attorney ormed with sew
eral letters of introduction to promi'
lnent attorneys here, but before any
action could be taken, this tourist
] who had been taken in by the gang
told one of the members that friend
of his hadn't believed this story OF
easy money and had, come to Tampa
; to investigate.
And then while the attorney and
the easy money visitor were on their
way 70 Palma Celia Park to hunt for
1.-THE house where he had been taken
by the roundabout route, big auto
mobile passed them, two of the gang
In the front seat, and the blackboard
and paraphernaiia in the back II
was the last seen of these men.
This was only one of several gangs
said to be operating here and prom
trent New York detective close tc
the ways of these crooks was in Tam
pa a few days ago ard said he had
recognized a number of them on the
streets here The confidence men are
said to put up at the best and high
es$priced places and number Of
them are said to have been recog
nized at prominent downston hotels.
Thse crooks, as class, are not
dangerous unless allowed to work
themselves into the confidence of un