The Bunco Gang’s Wharfside Swindle
Two young women are fleeced by a sophisticated street-con artist on the Seattle waterfront.
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.
Two young women arrived in Seattle by train and, while trying to find their way to a boarding house, were accosted by a man who claimed to know the area. He led them to a wharf under the guise of finding their luggage. There, a second man appeared, seemingly an 'honest worker' who began chatting with them. The pair then tricked the women into revealing their money under the pretense of 'seeing' it to ensure it was safe. When the women produced $200, one of the men grabbed it and ran. Two other men then appeared, claiming to be police, and threatened to arrest everyone unless the conflict was resolved. They ultimately 'settled' the matter by handing the women a bogus check for $200. The women soon realized the deception, contacted A.A. Merrill of the Merchant’s Patrol, and with the help of Chief Rapie, one of the perpetrators was captured at a railway depot as he attempted to flee.
“Let us see it and we will be satisfied.”
Bunco rings were a common hazard for new arrivals in the 1890s, preying on people's unfamiliarity with the bustling, often lawless waterfront. Today, while physical 'bunco' games are rare, the spirit of exploiting newcomers' trust remains a recurring concern in Seattle's transient housing and labor markets.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.