Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-10
HOW BIG BUNCO SYNDICATE
GOT ITS VICTIMS IN FLORIDA

1gEO GIV 4 AVkAxD7
During the past few months At
lantians have been RECALLED with elab-
crate and entertaining descriptions
of how the "bunco syndicate" func-
toned in it's lucrative, but prescribed
system of separating trusting vic
TINS from their bank rolls. 1t has
been stated that the bunco art
ists,. in their Atlanta operations, were
merely using this city as one of their
many centers of activity, and that
federal agents have been busy trace
ing out the ramifications of a nation.
wide organization of swindlers.
In other words, Atlanta was mere.
ly way station" in the bunco game,
according to the federal authorities
who have interested themselves iii
the investigation. 1t is claimed that
many millions have been garnered by
the Industrious bunco artists, who
are said to have devoted considerable
attention to the fertile fields along
the Florida east coast, where wealthy
tourists swarm during the winter
season.
Their operations at other points
have been similar to those in Atlanta,
according to information unearthed
by the authorities and with the de.
velopment of the bunco probe in At
lanta, other cities throughout the
country have undertaken similar in
vestigations, revealing widespread
activity by what is apparently a well
organized group of expert swindlers.
Of particular interest at this time
is the sensational description Of the
Florida operations given by Charles
E. Owens, special staff correspondent
of the Chicago Daily News. His story.
giving what is said to be inside
stuff" about the bunco game in the
tourist resorts along the east coast,
follows:
| ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.-Tales Of
buried treasure are out Of fashion in
st. Augustine now. The ghosts OF
| pirate, explorer and miserly colonist
have stepped aside to make way for
| flesh and blood rivals a hundred
| ing of dishonest gold than were Nor
gan and Kidd and Bonnet and Lafitte
together. The treasure industry Of
this bit of old Spain on the American
continent has passed into the hands
of con men, the modern knights Of
| the golden fleece. ~
In the season just past, which end
| ed abruptly in the killing of Claude
| Willard Powell, the Waco Kid" by
another con man whom he caused to
be barred from operating here, they
garnered, in the protected zone about
st: Augustine alone, gold in sums re-
calling estimates of the treasure Of
the sunken galleous of Nassau and
the buried chests along the coast.
Rival Monte Carlo Earnings
Estimates based on the percentage
| paid by the operating syndicate to
the prince of Monaco have placed the
annual net earnings of the Monte
Carlo casino at $6,OOO,O0O. In the
SALES de jeu of st. Augustine and
other Florida resort towns the win
ningS" of the f1eecers are estimated
to exceed 100000 in a scant three
months and would have been much
| larger had not untimely murder step
! ped the play at it's height.
In Monte Carlo the loser departed
from the Casino knowing that he had
gambled with chance. In the gilded
! palaces of protected Florda-cas
known in the argot, of ICON" as
| "stores"-the victim was given no
cum fund" provides for the safe
transport of the loser back to his
home. Here his only return for the
loss of a fortune was sneer from
the fleecers and discouraging COM
tnent from the police.
sound astounding, it would not seem
so if the reader could visualize the
magnificent chain of homes through
out the state which had been rented
| by wealthy tourists" and then fit
ted into sumptnops cluh1" whers
lestation from authorities.
There was the CLUB" of Spanish
architecture without, and within the
roulette wheels, the card tables, dis
connected telephones and Goddess
telegraph, the cashiers cage with its
blackboard on which the winning
horses were chalked duplicated just
on the outskirts Of New Augustine,
a short motor spin from the oldest
city. In the language of the ICON
men" this store"
The "Waco Kids" Game
1t was to this store" that the
Waco Kid" paid his first" visit sew
eral times a day and night. To the
Sucker" whom he accidentally met
on the sea wall or in Plaza park he
was often the lonesome Texas ranch-
err In this role the Waco Kid"
slipped with natural ease. He at
one time shipped live stock to the
packers in a legitimate enterprise.
Or, if he was a race boss" man, ne
could talk the moon out of MAINTAIN
zas bay on horses. 1t was as an owner
of a stable Of thoroughbred horses
that he first became known to the
sporting world.
And soon, if not on their first +
meeting, the Waco Kid" and the
wealthy tourist would be strolling
an elderly gentleman would be spied
turning into one of the fashionable
hotels, intently studying a batch OF
kilograms. The Texas rancher would
know the elderly one, whom he would
hail Familiarity as Mr.. Anybody. The
elderly one-known to the police as
John Idle-would lift dignified brow
and not recall as having had the
pleasure. The rancher would mem
introduced them, and mention some
thing about the "big killing" which
the elderly gentleman had made by
being on the inside" of the races.
This was enough. The gentleman on
the inside now remembered, and, sure
enough, the Wad of kilograms were
all about horses.
Roping In the sucker"
After much inducement on the
and the wealthy tourist next to some
easy money, Idle would motor them
out to the club. Neither would be
permitted to put up any money. Idle's
advance dope was so sure that he
could put up a substantial bet for