Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1917 — SMOOTH CHAPS GET THEIR PREY [ARTICLE]

SMOOTH CHAPS GET THEIR PREY

•FIRST PAST THE POST” LURES SOME VICTIMS CONFIDENCE MEN ME NUMEROUS Bogus Faro Snares.-Others/ but Pickpocket is “Slick Individual,” Says Sleuth. Cincinnati, Ohio.—“ Gold bricks ana lightning rods may be a thing of the past, but my experiences during the last few years prove to me the confidence men aiid the-men who live by their wits are more numerous than ever, and are landing bigger game," quoth Colonel William H. Jackson, former Chief of Police of Cincinnati; while in a reminiscent mood. “One of the smoothest schemes for separating the unsuspecting victim of his roll that has come to my attention recently is the game known aS ‘First Past the Post.' “A pleasure resort or a watering place is often selected as the seat of operation. Wily, faultlessly-dressed men haunt the exclusive hotels in search of easy game. Once singled 'out, the victim is drawn on by the seductive means oxily such crooks em ploy to gain one’s confidence. “W’hen the time is ripe, the intended victim is acquainted casually with a means of getting sure tips on the i aces. As proof of the sure thing, he is taken by his new friend into a loom which has all the appearance ol a .race pool room in full operation. Te.egraph operators in shirt sue., sit in front of instruments receiving reports of wires which lead no further than the building. He is told the owner is receiving reports in advance of the open pool rooms. Incidentally, the gentleman tout cashes on a sure thing placed the day before. “If the quarry shows interest, the ‘convinced is tried on him. He is allowed to make a small bet, say $25, at odds of four to one, without putting up the money. Of course, he wins, and leceives his winnings.. “Usually the ‘convincer* turns the trick. The day following, .the yjetim is urged to make a larger bet, SI,OOO $12,000 or $5,000 according to his financial rating. His word again is taken for the amount of his wager. Again he wins at long odds. “When the time comes to cash in tie is shown his winnings and informed before he can collect the money he must show an amount equivalent to his bet as guarantee he could have paid if anything had gone wro rigF sa fitr i ß%:h t of ■ the' winnTfiglT convinces him everything is all right. Lie goes home returning with the money, which is placed in a box with his winnings. “The box is locked securely. A quick shift is made, and a box filled wjth old, newspaper,clippings or rai i - road timetables -is handed him. —He discovers the deception an hour or so later. When he returns to investigate, the trappings have been re moved, and the birds have flown. 11 the police are notified, they have no clew. •'ll, by chance, the man has the ready cash at hand, and produces it at once, a ‘barney’ fight is staged, during which one of the men apparently is stabbed fatally. Blood flows from the wound as every one makes a „fiasty-depatture-. - The taut- takes care of his friend, and promises to shield mm from djscOyery. also promises to produce the money in a few days alter the trouble has blown over. Fear of being a witness in a murder case seals the victim’s lips for several days. Colonel Jackson paused a while, and continued: “Before tfie race swindles, bogus faro bank dealing was a favorite stunt of the smooth crooks, who employed the same methods as now to gain t .the confidence of their victims. "In this case, the tout knows a faro Healer who is sore athis boss. Thfl_ dealer is willing to lose the whole bank to his friend if he can produce enough money to make the play look square. “If the plan works, a week or ten days is spent teaching the victim the system of how the cards will turn up in the box. The instruction is continued until he lias mastered the system “Then he is led into a gambling room. ' A few hangefs-on give it the appearance —of m secret gambling place. The faro dealer winks at the tout know.ugiy, ,as much as to sa.\, • Every tlnng'ljß all right.’ The play, starts. The victim plays his sysiem. He wins and loses alterriatfiigiy, while the tout urges him. on, .laying he must lose occasionally to make it look on the level. “To make a long story short, the re suit is the same as the race swindle. The gang gets the money, gets away, and leaves the victim Sinus Ins roll. “It’s worse than picking pockets, ft?”-the listener v.entfired. “Yes, but the pickpocket is a slick individual,” replied Colonel Jackson. tive can spot a pickpocket in the crowd. I-t is because he is the unnatural man in the crowd. Other people are looking at tim speaker or whatever is going ofl. The pickpocket moves 'here and uierfe, paying no at tention to what is going on, but In tent on picking out a likely victim.