The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-18
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, d. C.
CHILD PRoDIGIEs OF FRAUD,

| prodigy is now a familiar figure
among US. Nearly every week the pic
torial supplements of the newspapers
contain the photographs of at least
one child genius who is early bios
soming into fame. Last year, one OF
| the greatest sensations of the season
| was a child pianist of eleven, and this
year it is a nine-year-old chess oham-
pion. Columbia university has just
/ matriculated a fourteen-year-old boy,
who is said to acquire his high marks
without studious effort, and Harvard.
| of course, has had a child mathematI-
| cal genius for two or three years.
But the development of child prodi-
gies has not been confined to the arts
and sciences. They are also springing
/ up in amazing numbers in criminal
| circles. New York is witnessing
| rush season of small artful dodgers
, who are surprisingly skilled in re-
| lieving people of their watches and
pocketbooks under the very noses Of
rotund cops. Still others are evtdenc-
ing amazing ability in the usually ma
| ture business of fraud.
There is Sniffski, for instance. aged
six, a product of Greenwich Village,
who is a master mind in his own line.
SniffSki was not born with SILVER
spoon in his mouth, but with great
talent for acquiring something or the
kind for himself. He is one of large
family of ill-clad children who look
very much alike, with the exception
that Sniffski has-an unusual pair or
large, expressive, somber eyes, whicn
he has learned to use to good ad-
vantage.
Just when Sniffski began to recog-
nize their value is not known, but be-
ginning with this fall the people llv-
ing in Sniffski's neighborhood were
touched by their appeal. A young
woman artist was one of the first VIC
nf ms o. mower.
entering the corner drug store to puy
a sundae when she beheld a small boy
with a towsled head and ragged
clothes staring in the window. Inc
whole little figure seemed to express
a tremendous longing, and she thought
vaguely that the child would make
good sketch, but forgot about him in
ordering her sundae. AS she TOOK Ihe
first bite. however, she happened TO
turn to the window. and encountered
ming, the artist told a friend later,
ain perfect sea of usefulness" Well
the Immediate result was that Sniff
ski was brought into the drug store
and treated to a sundae.
The Sniffski System.
A few nights later. the young artist
entering the corner drug store, FOUND
Sniffski seated on a stool beside an
old lady. drinking an ice cream soda,
and the night after that he was doing
the same in company with genial
old man But on the next night the
climax came. As the young woman
approached the drug store, she saw
Sniffski in the clutches OF the neign-
borhood cop.
1.Now lust you run home as fast as
you can. if you can run at all after
drinking all that muck, the cop was
admonishing the boy in a stern voice,
which became less stern as he encoun-
30 q
little rascaPs had five sodas tonight,
he explained to the interested onlook-
ers, "and I'm afraid to let him have
another. There's a limit to his stom-
lex, but there amt any limit to the
number of people who are Wiling 10
buy drinks for him"
This put ansend to Sniffski's ice
cream soda game for while, but he
soon discovered another equally as
good. 1t did not work so quickly. but
it provided a fair amount of small
change, whereas the other had secured
merely food. He began to study the
people of his neighborhood and to pick
out those with kindly, good-natured
faces Working one street at time,
he would wait for these individuals in
the morning and turn upon them the
full power of his dark, wiStful eyes,
and tiny smile. The kindly souls, en-
tirely unsuspic'ous of a plot. were
greatly flattered by this attention from
child. They were just in the right
frame of mind for Sniffskis final
stroke of genius, which usually came
about the third morning. This time
the neighbor was rapidly approached
by Sniffski. his large eyes shining, and
greeted with, Say, Mister, today's my
birthday
Invariably the neighbor inquired
concerning Sniffski's age, and in
variab1y Sniffski promptly answered,
Ten" And always the same result
was one more dime in Sniffski's small
pocket.
In another section of New York an
equally clever child prodigy has been
working an even more complicated
scheme for separating trustful persons
from small portions of their cash. This
enterprising lad. who has cherubic
countenance, rings the bell of house
where there is no telephone. Many
such houses still exist in New York.
especially since the telephone company
has become SO Indifferent to increasing
its business.
The Fake Phone Call.
BY careful inquiries the boy has
ascertained that furnished rooms are
rented in this particular house. and
has secured the names of the dodgers
So on Sunday morning, Mr. Hibbs,
who lives in the third-floor front. Is
informed by his landlady that he is
wanted on the nearest dpu e store tele-
phone. The drug store has sent a
little hoy to tell him, the landlady ex-
plains, breathless from running up
three flights of stairs.
AS Mr.. Hibbs dashes hurriedly into
! his clothes, he wonders who on earth
1t can be who has called him up in
such fashion. Is it the red-haired
| flapper he met the other evening, who
asked him to soin a hiking club, and
who inquired so insistently as to>how
| she could reach him on the phone {?
No; 1t couldn't be- He is sure that he
| didn't tell her about the drug store
Too bad he hadn't. All, now he knows
who it 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. It will be great
to see Brown again-always was an
] entertaining chap.
| Rushing enthusiastically down The