Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-20
Child Prodigies of Fraud
by Frederic > Hsskin

prodigy is now familiar figure among us.
Nearly every week the pictorial supple
nonts Of tho newspapers contain the
photograph Of st least one child genius " ho
h early blossoming into fame. Inst year,
one Of the greatest sensations ~ the SEASON
was child pianist of eleven, and this year
ID is nine-yehr-old chess champion
Columbia University has just matrio-
ulated fourteen-year-old boy, who is
said 10 acquire his high marks without
studioua effort, and Harvard, 81 cOrge,
has had - child mathematical genius for
two or three years.
But the development Of child prodigies
has not beeo confined 20 the arts and
scienoes. They are also springing up 10
amazing numbers in criminal circles. New
York II witnessing q rush season Of small
artfui dodgers who are surprisingly skilled
IN relieving people of their watches and
pocketbooks under the very nogea Of ro-
tund cops. Still others are evidencing
amazing ability in tho usually mature
business Of fraud
There in Sniffski for instance, aged SIX. a
product Of Greenwich Village, who - n
master mind IN his own line. Snlffski was
not born with a silver spoon in his mouth,
but with n great talent for acquiring some
thing Of tho kind for himself. He is one of
a largo fsmily Of ill-clad children who look
very much alike, with tho exception that
Sniffski has an unusual pair Of large, *
pressive, sombrn eyes, which hc has
learned 20 use 10 good advantage
Just when Sniffsk began 70 recognize
their value - not known, but beginning
with this fall the people living in 3niffski's
| neighborho0d we're toucned by their
appeal A young woman artist was one of
the first victims Of their magic power. She
was entering the corner drug store 70 buy
sundae when she beheld small boy
with a towHled head and ragged clothes
staring in tho window The whole little
figure seemed to express tremendous
longing, and she thought vaguely that
The child would make good sketch, but
forgot about him in ordering her sundao.
As she took tho Est bite, however, she
happened n turn to tho window, and en-
colntnred the eyes large brown eyes
swimming. the artist told friend later
in "a perfect SEA of wistfulness Well
the immediate result was that Sniffski was
brought into the drug store and treated -
q sundas
rHr srIvTsHr SYSTEM
A few nights later, the Same young artist
entering the corner drug store, found
Sniffsk seated on n stool beside an old
lady. drinking an ice cream soda. and the
night after that ne was doing the Same
thing in company with genial old unan
But % the next night the climax came
A the young woman approached the drug
store, she saw Sniffski IN the clutches n
the nelRhborhood cop.
Now just you run home a. last 20 you
ran, # you can TtIn ~ all after drinking
al that muck the cop was sdmonlshing
the boy ~ a stern voice which became
less stern as he encountered the dark
sombre ewes The little rascal 3 had FIVE
sodas tonight he explained - the n'er-
eated onlookers, and ! N AFRAID 70 LET
hlm have another There a limit 70 hi
stomick, but there amt sny limit 70 the
number Of people who are willing - buy
drinks for him
THIS put an end 10 Snifski's ice cream
soda game for a while but he soon DIS
covered another equally asgood- Il did
MT work 50 quickly. but il provided
far amount 0f small change. whereas the
other had secured merely toOd- tic hegan
70 study the people Of MS nelghbOTh0od
and 70 pick out those with kindly. good
nattIred faces. Working one street at q
time. he would wait for these individuals
in the morning and turn upon them the
tlnv smile The kindly souls, entirely IN
Suspicious of plot, were greatly Hattered
by this attention from cnlId. They were !
Just In the right frame Of mind for sniff
SKI final stroke Of genus, whlch usually
came about the third morning. his time (
th nelghbor was rapidly approached by
SnifskI, his large eyes SHINING, and
greeted, with, Say, Mister, today 3 my
birthday
Invariably. The neighbor inquired con
oening SnIfsa's age and invariably
SnIffsd promptly answered Ten. And
always the same result was one mora dime !
n SnIffsA1 ssInau pocket,
In another section Of New York al
equally clever child prodigy has been
working an even more complicated scheme +
for separating trIstful persons from small
portions Of their cash. This enJerpr.sIng .
lad. who has cheulbic c0untensnce, 4
rings the bell Of house where there : no .
telephone. Many such houses still exist II .
New York, especially since the telephone
company has become 80 indifferent % IN
creasing its business.
THE FAKE PHONE CALL.
By careful inquiries the boy has ascer- +
tanned that furnished rooms are rented II .
this particular house, and has secured the
names Of the dodgers.
So on = Sunday morning, MIR. HIbbs.
who lives In the thlrd-fioor front, is in
formed by his landlsdy that he Is wanted
on the nearest drug store telephone. The
drug store has sent q little boy 70 tell him,
the landlady explains, breathless from
up three flights Of stairs.
As Mr. Hibbs dashes hurriedly into MS
clothes, he wonders who on earth it can
be who has called him up in such fashion.
Is it the red-haired fapPer he met the
other evening, who asked him To Join
hiking club, and who inquired so inSistently
as to how she could reach him on the
phone? No. it couldn I be He is sure that
he didn't tell her about the drug store.
Too bad he hadn't All, now he knows
who il is-it IS Brown, Of course, who has
come to town, found out where he is and
called him up. Only Brown would think
Of calling him from the nearest drug store.
1t viii be great to see Brown again
WAYS was an entertaining chap.
Rushing enthusiastically down the
stairs, he is about TO clear the front steps
with one leap when he IS stopped by
small boy with cherublc face, who SAYS
N small but determined voice: