Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1868 — NOVEL SWINDLE. [ARTICLE]

NOVEL SWINDLE.

PH|ht mwl night of W loijf»r Hsian, I ( - i !•»>{ ,f, '(he Bt, Louis Republican thus narrates a novel Dwindling operation, mors amuoing i to the render than the hick less victim: "A cigar and tobaqeo dealer, named Oharieß F. Knoll, who*C stand wss om, Fifth street, had in ifais employ a cigar-maker who had of the Assessor’s din,) triot, in which he formerly lived. He ought to have had hi* license endorsed by the Assessor of his rirescnt district, but neglected itThis fact beoame known to some sharpers, wijo gave their names as Hang & ( £!o., and called upon hinr. Knoll, who is a ventimid and nervous little German was told that he had boen violating the Rovonue law, and rendered himself liable to heavy punishment. Ho 'lintfivaUy hqeamo much frightened. They said that if he did not t4ro pare tlie revenue officers would take his RtorO from bun if they found it cut. They also stated that they had had a goaddcp.l of experience in snch matters, and kuow.liow to nrnkc it all right- They then made a proposition that he shpuld gike them a bill of sale of hmstore and Ue cobtents, aud they would take care of it for a 1 short time. , “Knoll thought this a good idea, and so he made opt the bill of sale and gave it to them. As soon as they got it, onO of tho scamps looked out of tho door and then made a rnsh ipr the,inside of the store. He told Knoll, that the revenue officers had found it out anyhow, and it would be best for him to get out of town. Poor Knoll, fearful and intimidated, put on hie hat and coat in hot haste, and, acting up6n their suggestions, made for tho folrfy-bont us last as his legs would carry.him. When he had gone the Hciiipps closed the store, and one putting on a long-tailed coat and the other n stove-pipe hat to disguise themselves went after him.— Ho crossed the rifer before them, and van towards the sloughs. They landed soon afterwards, and made a show, of pursuit. Which stimulated Knoll to greater exertions in' the way of flyiug. Under the impression that they were the dreaded officers, he hastened past tho Pittsburg coal landing, and sought refuge in the woods of Cahokia. He unfortunately got up to his neck in mud but extricated himself and crawled under a pile of brushwood. Hang & Co.' walked at a distance from the pile and then came over td%t. Lords, took possession of tiie store and commenced to remove the tobaceo, 3bo, The real revenuo officers became aware of the fact, and seized the store. Hang ,fc.Co. decamped. Knoll, after remaining in his ambush a a number of hours, mustered courage ta come back to St. Louis. He found his store in possession of tho officers of the law. 1L &. Co, had been selling cigars unstamped, which he bad not been doing. Some proceedings had been commenced against Knoll, and it was in the course of these that the true facts of the case came to tho knowledge of Col. Noble, U. 8. District Attorney. He reported them to the Commissioner, and the proceedings were staved. Knoll lost a considerable portion of his property. Hang A Co, aro still at large.