The Old 'Freight Bill' Con: A Waterfront Warning
A traveler bound for the Klondike Gold Rush finds himself relieved of his cash by a 'friendly' stranger and a well-timed shakedown.
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.
Frank Fritsch, who lives at Burlington, Wash., was the victim of the freight bill trick yesterday afternoon. He had bought his ticket for Alaska and had gone aboard the steamer Farallon when he was approached by a man representing himself to be a Juneau merchant. The two became chummy immediately, and they started up the street together. They had not gone far when they were stopped by an expressman who claimed a sum from Fritsch’s friend, on an express bill. Fritsch gave the expressman the money for his friend, who was broke. A few minutes after, Fritsch’s new-found friend disappeared.
“The two became chummy immediately, and they started up the street together.”
This grift is a classic of the Seattle waterfront era, targeting hopeful prospectors with manufactured urgency. It mirrors the 'social engineering' scams that still plague travelers and newcomers in the city today, where predators exploit a victim's desire to be helpful or 'chummy' to facilitate a quick financial loss.
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