El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-12-21
Little Box That Sparks And
MakesMOney Sells FOrSIOOO;
ST Bill Easily Changed To S.

Q from two "sIickers' at Douglas. Ariz-.
/ recently. after the men are alleged TO
have told a beWhisker5d rural man
that with Ct they could print IS bills
from 81 bills faster than he could
count them"
Viewed from the outside. the box
looks like a rather intricate machine,
with three sides OF metal, ana the
others covered with imitation leather.
Inside the box is a false compart-
ment In order to explain the work
ing Of the green goods gag Lel-
eral men trace the procedure OF the
-slickers" ike this.
First the men place three 5000 50
bills between three sheets Of thin
rubber They are wrapped IN gauzes
to form a thin package the size OF
the bills. The sucker is SPOTTED and
one or both Of the sWindlers make his
Acquaintance. He finds his new
friends to be affable and opulent At
length the conversation, somehow OF
other, swings around TO money ana
the difficulty OF obtaining u without
labor. Naturally. the stranger is i'm
pressed at the confidence with which
one swindler informed him. IT'S
easy II you know how"
Money Il Made Easily.
After the stranger IS ready. for
picking" he is told. very secretly OF
course, Of the wonderful invention
He IS taken TO a room and shown
bills have been placed BE does not
see. however. the false compartment
containing them, but only an empty
compartment He is then shown three
81 bills. which also are wrapped In
rubber and gauze. These are placed
into the empty compartment OF the
cabinet and the electrical connection
made
Immediately a soft purr' as though
a motor were running, is heard and
through a glass tube a wavering
purple flame plays about In order
70 prevent the strangers curiosity
from provoking a too close inVesll-
cation the sWindlers touch the metal
sides Of the machine with a piece Of
metal. which draws shower or
sparks he IS then told that the
entire box IS charged Under pre-
tense Of regulating" the machine
one sWindler VIII turn handle,
which throws the compartment con-
tanning the 81 bills out OF sight, and
brings into view the compartment
containing the three good s. bills
An Impressive wait IoHoWss curing
which the stranger witnesses what 10
him seems to be an electrical Pie
Then the box Is opened and the
avved> stranger IS handed the three 50
bills flake them TO a bank and see
h they can tell whether they are
good" the swindlers tell him he
does. and after the banker has scru-
tinted the new bills, he pronounces
them good. Mr.. Stranger is con-
WINGED Then comes the delicate
manipulation OF a sale Of the box,
out Of which the swindlers reap a
rich profit.
Machines sell for $1,000.
The box itself ls nothing but a
clever set OF cabinets with & simple
electrical sparkling machine attached
Often the men vary their game By
placing blank paper in place OF the
81 bills and telling their victim that
they can print the money themselves
such procedure. however, has the risk
that the victim viii demand to see
the plates from which the money is
printed. and IS more risky for the
According 70 federal agents, these |
boxes are obtalnable for moderate /
sums. and the sWindlers then sell l
them to their victim for as much as
they can persuade him TO part with /
The machines have been sold for as
much as $1,000, and the average ]
price runs into several hundred dol |
lars.
The scheme is a further annoy
ance TO federal agents, as the per
netrators can not be tried for coun- |
terfeiting. but only for swindling.