South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-04
FLEECE LOCAL MAN
OF $500 In OLD
CONFIDENCE GAME
Factory Waterman is Victim
and Finds But Three Dol
lars In Poor Box"

Fourteen thousand dollars to dis
tribute among South Bends poor!
This promise, carried out in the
form Of a locked iron securities box
delivered into the keeping of their
victim, brought to light a repetition
Of he old "bunco" game, grown
hoary and moss-covered with age.
as 1t was pulled" on a South Bend
citizen Wednesday.
And now Jacob Nowak, 1925 w.
Washington av., employed, it is said,
as Waterman of a Mishawaka fac
tory. is minus. according to his story
70 the police. $500.
Whisper Confidence.
Nowak says the agreement that re-
suited in the loss OF all his money
was entered into between himself
and two well-dressed strangers. In
whispered undertones the two men
confided to him the details of the
plan on the Oliver Fairgrounds We'd
nesday, shortly before noon. Their
demand upon him, he said. was for
$1,000.
The tale told to Nowak has been
told before with slight variation. An
other local man was fieeced the
same way, it is said. two years ago.
Nowak was told that if he could
Sc .ure $4,000 the three would join
together and go to California where
they could take life easy"
But in the meantime, Nowalo was
informed the box in their possession,
containing $4,000 in currency and
gold (and they exhibited filled
wallet holding TWO bundles wrapped
tightly and faced with Uncle Sans
currency had been intrusted to
them by a philanthropist who de-
manded that il be distributed among
the poor Of South Bend.
Drew Out Funds.
Would he give them $4,000 as
surety for the $4,000 and the three
would spend the $4,000 together"
Going to the bank, according to
Nowak, he drew out all of his
money. amounting to $500. and
met the men shortly afterward.
Then the $500 passed hands and
he took in exchange the box In
which he trusted to contain $4,000.
NOwak is said to be a bachelor
and had no loving spouse" TO re-
strain him. Instkad. he showed the
box TO neighbors where he roomed
on w. Washington av. and they
asked him to open it. The credulous
Nowak told of someone else having
the key to the box and the man
from whom he rented his room in
formed the police.
Nowak willingly gave the box into
the keeping of Capt. Cutting who
answered the call sent in. In COM
pany with Sergt. of Detectives Sam
Koczorowski, Cutting returned to
w. Washington av., where Nowak
and his landlord had remained. The
lid of the box was pried open and
a leather wallet and two tightly
wrapped bundles done up in white
and blue handkerchiefs were dis
played.
That's $4,000" breathed Nowak
to the curious examiners of the con-
tents
Got Only So.
But Nowak was doomed to disap-
pOintment. Nowak had been shown
the wrappers only, but the two con
fidence" men had held the box in
their hands. In the wallet was re-
vealed two newspapers, each wrap
ped in a one-dollar bill and a third
bill folded over the ends of the two
rolls" TO further deceive in a pre-
liminary inspection. The two bun
dies, neatly done up in handker-
chiefs. were then united and a guam
tity of newspaper tightly packed ex-
posed the full extent of the swindle.
The total cash in the box was So
The victim was able to give a good
description OF the two men who had
heeced him. but il is believed that
they have made good their departure
to parts unknown. One of the men
is described as 80 years of age,
weighing 135 pounds. and about five
feet. 6 inches tall His color scheme
Is black, having black eyes, a small
black moustache. dark complexioned
with black hair. wore a dark suit,
black overcoat and a black soft hat.
The other man, according 10 No
wax, is about 80 years of age and
was stOutly built. weighing in the
neighborhood OF 100 pounds. Brown
prevailed in his description. Having
brown eyes and hair, NE wore q suit
overcoat and hat of brown.
No arrests have been made.