magic and real detectives-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



notorious；　constituting　a　distinct　branch　of　the　business；　but　the

pretenses　on　which　human　credulity　is　invited　to　part　with　actual

cash　for　imaginary　benefits　are　innumerable。　　A　few　specimens　are

given　as　illustrations。







AN　OLD　GAME　REVIVED





On　the　18th　of　September；　1875；　a　fellow　was　arrested　in　West

Virginia　who　sent　the　victims　whom　he　proposed　to　bleed　letters

whereof　the　following　is　a　copy：





〃A　lady　who　boarded　with　me　died　on　last　Saturday　of　apoplexy。　　She

left　a　trunk　containing　the　following　property：　　One　very　fine

ladies'　gold　watch　and　chain；　one　ladies'　gold　necklace；　six

ladies'　finger　rings；　earrings；　and　a　great　deal　of　ladies'

clothing。　　Among　other　things　was　a　letter　addressed　to　you。　　I

suppose　you　to　be　a　relative　of　the　deceased；　and　want　to　send　you

the　trunk。　　When　Miss　Thompson　died　she　left　a　board　bill　unpaid

amounting　to　20。50。　　You　will　please　send　this　amount　by　return

mail；　and　the　trunk　will　be　forwarded　to　you　immediately。〃





Instead　of　remitting　the　money　as　modestly　requested；　the　recipient

of　one　of　these　choice　douceurs；　a　lady　residing　in　the　interior　of

Pennsylvania；　sent　the　letter　to　the　mayor　of　the　town　where　it　was

dated　and　postmarked；　who　in　turn　handed　it　over　to　special　agent

T。　P。　Shallcross；　and　he　in　the　course　of　a　day　or　two　succeeded　in

capturing　the　miscreant。



This　particular　form　of　the　confidence　game　is　very　old；　yet　in　the

year　of　our　Lord　eighteen　hundred　and　seventy…five　a　swindler　by

means　of　it　succeeds　not　only　in　maintaining　himself　in　dashing

style；　but　also　in　sporting　a　flashy　traveling　companion　of　the

female　persuasion！



Where　the　letters　are　addressed　to　men；　the　articles　reported　to　be

found　in　the　imaginary　trunk　are　changed　to　correspond　to　masculine

habits　and　wants。　　The　operators　receive　many　singular　and　some

entertaining　replies。　　The　following；　dated　long　ago　from　a　small

town　at　the　South；　may　serve　as　a　sample；　the　orthography　of　the

original　being　preserved：





〃COL。　SNOWDEN；



〃Dear　Sir；Yours　received；　and　you　say　John　is　dead。　　Poor　fellow！

I　always　expected　it。　　Death　runs　in　the　family。　　Dyed　suddenly　of

appleplexyeat　too　many　apples。　　Well；　I　always　thought　John　would

hurt　himself　eating　apples。　　I　s'pose　you　had　him　buried。　　You　said

nothing　about　funeral　expenses。　　He　had　a　trunkgold　watch　in　it；

&c。　　Well；　well；　what　an　unexpected　legacy！　but　strange　things

happen　sometimes。　　Never　thought　I　should　get　a　gold　watch　so。　　And

he　had　the　watch　in　his　trunk；　did　he？　　Poor　fellow！　was　always　so

particular　'bout　his　watch　and　fixings。　　Had　two　revolvers。　　What

is　them？　　I　never　heard　John　say　anything　about　them。　　Well；　you

have　been　so　kind　as　to　write　to　me；　just　keep　all　the　balance　of

the　things；　you　can　have　them；　but　the　gold　watch；　send　that　to　me

by　express。　　Send　immediately　if　not　sooner。〃



〃Very　truly；



〃GEO。　STREAM。



〃P。　S。　　My　mother　in　law　says；　if　you　come　this　way；　call。　　She

likes　to　know　all　such　good；　kind　folks。〃





It　is　safe　to　conclude　that　〃Col。　Snowden〃　never　accepted　the

invitation　to　call　from　the　hospitable　mother…in…law。







A　FORMIDABLE　WEAPON





In　the　summer　and　fall　of　1875　circulars　were　scattered　broadcast

over　the　country；　and　advertisements　appeared　in　the　weekly

editions　of　several　leading　papers　of　New　York　City　and　other　large

towns；　setting　forth　the　rare　merits　of　a　weapon　of　destruction

called　〃Allan's　New　Low…Priced　Seven…Shooter。〃　　As　a　specimen　of

ingenious　description；　the　more　salient　parts　of　the　circular　are

herewith　reproduced：





〃In　introducing　this　triumph　of　mechanical　genius　to　the　American

public；　it　is　proper　to　say　that　it　is　not　an　entirely　new　article；

but　that　it　has　lately　been　improved　in　appearance；　simplicity　of

construction；　and　accuracy；　having　new　points　of　excellence；　making

it　superior　in　many　respects　to　those　first　made。　　The

manufacturers　having　improved　facilities　for　making　them　cheaply

and　rapidly；　have　reduced　the　price　to　one　dollar　and　fifty　cents；

and　while　the　profits　on　a　single　one　are　necessarily　small；　this

price　places　them　within　the　reach　of　all。



〃We　wish　it　distinctly　understood　that　this　is　no　cheap；　good…for…

nothing　'pop…gun'；　and　while　none　can　expect　it　to　be　'silver…

mounted'　for　1。50；　they　have　a　right　to　expect　the　worth　of　their

money；　and　in　this　new　improved　seven…shooter　a　want　is　supplied。



〃Great　care　is　taken　in　the　adjustment　of　EACH；　so　that　ALL　are

equally　good　and　reliable。　　In　their　production　no　trouble　or

expense　has　been　spared。　　An　elaborate　and　complete　set　of

machinery　and　gauges　has　been　made；　by　means　of　which　all　the　parts

are　produced　exactly　alike；　thus　insuring　great　uniformity　in　the

character　of　the　work　produced。〃





This　remarkable　implement；　equally　useful　for　peace　or　war；　is

offered　to　an　eager　public　at　the　low　price　of　1。50　each；　or　13

per　dozen。　　On　the　score　of　cheapness；　the　inventor　greatly　prefers

the　mails　to　the　express　as　a　vehicle　for　the　transport　of　his

wares。　　In　fact；　he　declines　to　patronize　the　express　companies　at

all；　unless　a　prepayment　of　twenty…five　per　cent；　accompanies　each

order　as　a　guaranty　of　the　〃purchaser's　good　faith。〃



At　first　the　enterprise　succeeded　even　beyond　the　most　sanguine

expectations　of　its　projector；　letters　with　the　cash　inclosed

pouring　in　by　the　hundred。　　For　several　months；　however；　after　the

first　publication　of　the　advertisement；　〃this　triumph　of　mechanical

genius；〃　though　〃not　an　entirely　new　article；〃　existed　only　in　the

comprehensive　brain　of　the　gentleman　who　had　the　greatness　to

discern　in　the　imperfect　work　of　predecessors　the　germs　of　ideal

perfection。　　Having　no　seven…shooters　to　send；　he　was　compelled　to

dishonor　the　requisitions　of　the　expectant　〃traveler；　sailor；

hunter；　fisherman；　etc。〃　　While　careful　to　lay　aside　the

inclosures；　he　entirely　forgot　even　to　so　far　remember　his　patrons

as　to　make　a　record　of　their　names。



In　due　time；　however；　the　〃factory〃　went　into　operation；　and　the

seven…shooters　were　actually　produced。　　The　mechanical　〃triumph；〃

rudely　made　of　a　cheap　metal　composition；　is　a　duplicate　of　a　toy

long　used　by　boys　to　the　delight　of　each　other；　and　to　the

annoyance　of　their　elders。　　The　propulsive　power　resides　in　a　steel

spring；　which　has　force　enough　to　send　a　bird…shot　across　a　good…

sized　room。　　The　outfit　would　cost　perhaps　six　or　eight　cents　to

the　manufacturer。　　A　portion　of　the　orders　were　now　filled；　the

greater　part　being　still　thrown　unhonored　into　the　waste…basket　as

before。



Curses　both　loud　and　deep　began　to　be　showered　on　the　head　of　the

swindler。　　Complaints　having　reached　the　department；　special　agent

C。　E。　Henry　started　to　hunt　for　〃Wilcox　&　Co。；〃　of　Windsor；　Ohio；

for　such　was　the　direction　in　the　advertisements　and　on　the

circular。　　Proceeding　several　miles　from　the　nearest　railroad；　he

found　the　rural　settlement　where　the　factory　was　supposed　to　be

located。



Guided　by　various　inquiries；　he　finally　drove　up　to　the　small　farm…

house　where　the　parents　of　Wilcox　&　Co。　resided。　　On　entering；　the

officer　said；　〃I　am　in　search　of　Mr。　Wilcox；　of　the　firm　of　Wilcox

&　Co。〃



〃I　am　your　man；〃　remarked　a　youth；　perhaps　twenty…two　years　of　age；

whose　countenance　at　once　suggested　acuteness　and　cunning。　　〃What

will　you　have？〃



〃I　would　like　to　take　a　look　about　the　arsenal　and　gun…factory

located　here；〃　replied　the　detective；　leisurely　surveying　the

landscape。



〃The　works　are　in　Cleveland；〃　answered　the　great　inventor。　　〃You

can　see　them　by　calling　there。〃



〃But　where　is　the　arsenal？　　I　understand　it　was　situated　here。〃



〃Your　information　is　correct；〃　replied　the　young　man。　　〃That　is　it；

across　the　road。〃



Casting　his　eye　in　the　direction　indicated；　the　officer　saw　a

rickety　woodshed　about　seven　feet　by　nine　in　size。



Observing　the　smile　of　amused　incredulity　that　played　upon　the

features　of　his　questioner；　Wilcox　reiterated；　with　an　air　of　half

offended　dignity；



〃That's　it。　　We　keep　our　seven…shooters　there。　　But　look　here；

before　this　thing　goes　any　further；　I　want　to　know　who　you　are。〃



〃Oh；　certainly；　sir；〃　answered　the　stranger。　　〃You　will　find

nothing　about　me　that　I　care　to　keep　concealed。　　I　am　a　special

agent　of　the　post…office　department；　and　my　business　here　is　to

arrest　you。〃



〃Why；　what　have　I　done　to　warrant　such　a　visit？〃　queried　youthful

innocence。



〃I　shall　be　happy　to　make　that　point　clear　to　you；〃　replied　the

detective；　〃though　I　am　afraid　the　enlightenment　will　come　too　late

to　prove　of　much　service　to　you。　　In　using　the　mails　for　the

purpose　of　swindling；　you　have　violated　the　laws　of　the　country；

and　must　suffer　the　penalty。〃



〃But　where　does　the　swindling　come　in？〃　expostulated　Wilcox。　　〃I

advertised　a　seven…shooter。　　I　didn't　say　an