Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1887 — The Arrest of Those Confidence Men [ARTICLE]

The Arrest of Those Confidence Men

The history of the capture of the two confidence men, arrested in this place last week, is interesting enough to deserve relating somewhat more in detail than we were able to do last week; and a brief sketch of the game they were playing may help to save someone being swindled by it It is the same old counterfeit money dodge that was worked twenty years ago through the mhils, by means of circulars. The method of working it now, is through the direct intercourse of the swindler with his victim. The swindler will pick on a man who has some money but no principle, and will gradually unfold to him a scheme by which he can make dead loads of money, and without a particle of danger. A U. S, Treasury note is exhibited to the victim and he is told that it was printed on plates stolen from; the government, by a treasury clerk, and that a reward of $25,000 has been offered for the recovery of the plates. The money is declared to be in all particulars identical with that issued by the government; and to convince the victim that it is so, a bill will be taken to a bank and exchanged. This money is printed and put in circulation by means of a regularly organized association, and is sold to the right sort of men at the usual rate of SI,OOO of the queer, for SIOO good money. If the game is adroitly worked the victim will hand over whatever ready cash he can raise, and get the promise of the. “queer” in a few days. Of course he never gets a cent of it, for the whole story by which he was gulled is false, and the pretended sample of counterfeit money was really good, sound cash. As usually worked the head swindler has a “pal” who is well acquainted with the proposed victim, and he “goes in” with the latter in bargaining for the mythical counterfeit money. Of course we have only given, the ground-work, of the scheme, and in practice it is somewhat more elaborate than we have given it, and is worked with many variations. In the plan as attempted by Templeton upon Elvin Israel the latter was required to sign a paper purporting to be an agreement to deal in. “imitation currency” and also an application for membership in a secret society, the sole business of which was handling the said currency. , In this case Templeton was the chief worker and Burns his confederate. They wormed on Israel all day- the .Saturday before their arrest, and resumed the battle “again Tuesday. On that day they found that Mr. J. H. Jessen, the life insurance agent, was. a friend of Israel’s and had much influence with him, and concluded to secure his help in “doing up” Israel. Templeton therefore went to Jessen Tuesday evening and unfolded enough of his scheme that the latter saw what it was and told Templeton to call at his office late that evening. Jessen then got a couple of reliable men to secrete themselves behind a thin partition in his office, and when Templeton called upon him, they heard all that was said. The offer made by Templeton was that Jessen should influence Israel to invest-in the scheme, and that he, Jessen, should have one-third of the hundred for his troubte. Mr. Jessen -allowed. Templeton to reveal his whole of operations, in hearing of the witnesses, and then, very properly gave the sheriff the word to arrest him and Burns. It -was a very neat piece of detective work, and Mr. Jessen deserves great credit for the skill and boldness shown by him in the matthr. Templeton is an old hand at the business and claims to have “done’’ a good many different persons, included.. even deacons and other godly men. He claims to have beaten one resident of this county to the extent of eight hundred dollars, and many others to a lesser extent. Of course if a man is beaten at this game he never says anything about" it, because to do so would be to admit that he had been trying to buy counterfeit money. After Templeton was arrested hethrew away a paper which was afterwards picked up and handed to the sheriff. The following is a ver bahut copy: • • -v ' Rfnsselaerlnd Feb 20. 87. I the undersined do make aplieation to the e o x Lodge, of I-ogans-port, Branch office (Renselaer Ind >to use Imitation of Currency, not in violation of any law, want to .be a member of Said Lodge. In Secret order out side of every purchaur, I do solemly swear.to keep all Secrets to myself . J. M. Burns, Davih E. Ibkael, Legal member, John Templeton. I