Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-04-28
More About Those Swindlers.

wire Taper and bunco man are strange
and effective, if one cares TO invesii-
gate the swiniling of winter visitors in
Florida during the last three seasons.
Often The victim never reports he has
been heecei, and the authorities are
unanimous in the belief that the num-
Ger OF these who have appealed for aid
In an attempt 10 recover their money
represents only small part of those
VINO have been bilked. Occasionally a
victim reports his loss weeks later. too
late for the authorities TO do anything
and such an instant occurred in Ocala
this winter, it has been learned with
in the last few DAYS.
P. ]. and H. p Pointer, of Kersey.
Pa, stopping in Washington few
hours on February Is last, while on
their way home, told the police of that
city that they had been buncoed out of
S25,oOO in Ocala. The story was not
taken seriously here, because no one
apparently ever had heard of the
Pointers and newspaper men were un-
able to develop anything that would
indicate they ever had visited Ocala
Until a few days ago the public had
believed that mention of Ocala in the
dispatch from Washington resulted
from the confusion of this place with
some other Florida city. Now it is
known that the story told by the men
was true, but the authorities declare
they waited too long before reporting
their loss, for the bunco men were far
away when they did so.
Some time after the report of the
swndle was published here. the auth
critics received letter from the
Pointers giving the details and asking
If there were means by which their
money might be recovered. OH .erS
Gil their best to fini the thieves lat
could discover no trace of them and
only few days ago, when all hoce of
S:tcesS had been abandoned did thcv
true and make pubic the details.
Tie Pointers, fltacr and sou. came
to Florida on a pleasure :rip and in
Or'&Hdo met young mr. Of pleasing
manner who introduced them to sew
eral of his friends, who it Now appears
'r~c members Of L gang -. ,nr"dvncS
Tcr The party vi;i Tam. and ST.
p ersburg, and came here from the
larer place. The had not been IN
Ccala very long ha'orc they met an
"'Ie. man whom tic Pointers friends
asked to help them make some money
IN stock deals. The new found ac-
quaintance said he was employed BY
member of the New York Stock Ex-
changeand escorted the party to a hotel
where two rooms were camouflaged
as a stock brokers' Office.
Here the Pointers invested in stocks
which Immediately rose in value"
and they were given $4,000 each as
earnings. Then they invested heavily
in Mexican Petroleum." which also
went up. They sold cut and were told
they had made 100000. When they
attempted to collect their money they
were told they must Establish" them
selves by showing they could have met
their obligations had they lost the
same amount.
Regarding this as a reasonable re-
quest, the Pointers got together what
money they had with them and tele-
graphed home for more. When il ar.
rived they again attempted to collect
their winnings, only to become in
volved in another technically. While
this was being straighteend out one of
their friends invested" the entire
amount in aonther stock, which drop
ped Immediately, wiping out the en-
tire margin.
The Pointers, the authorities say,
evidently believed they had lost their
money in a legitimate business deal
and their failure to report the swindle
is attributed to the fact that they did
not realize they had been swindled
until some time later.
Ocala, Florida. c.