The Old Man and the Confidence Men
An elderly traveler is swindled out of his watch and checks by a pair of smooth-talking con artists in a Seattle saloon.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
An old gray-bearded man named Swan, who was at one time a druggist in California but is now connected with the Northern Pacific, was swindled out of checks valued at $260, a $10 gold piece, and a gold watch and chain by two confidence men last Saturday night. Swan, who had been drinking, met a man in the Windsor hotel bar who made himself very agreeable. In a short time, they were joined by a fellow introduced as a member of the firm of Clancy & Burns. The two men convinced Swan that he was too intoxicated to properly care for his valuables and suggested he leave them with a bartender for safekeeping. Swan handed over his belongings, only to realize the next morning that the men had directed him to the wrong saloon. Police reports confirm this is the sixth time the 'sure thing' gang has used the name of Clancy & Burns to commit fraud.
“They wanted his gold glasses, but he objected on the ground that he could not see without them.”
Public safety and 'confidence schemes' remain a persistent worry in city life, though the theaters of these crimes have shifted from 1890s saloons to digital and telephone platforms. The vulnerability of elders to predatory scammers is a recurring theme that resonates deeply with modern advocacy and protective services.
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