The Sad Tale of a Funeral Con
A man in mourning clothes successfully swindles a local funeral director out of three dollars under the guise of grieving for his dead wife.
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.
Monday night, D. O. Arnold, funeral director for the Bonney-Watson company, was approached by a man in the garb of a rancher. His flowing beard was wet with tears and his voice was choked with emotion. He informed Mr. Arnold that his wife, Margaret Parker, had just died. He selected a casket and shroud, then asked Mr. Arnold to fill in a check for him, as he had three fingers off his right hand and was too nervous to write. He requested the check be made for $95, as he needed $3 to purchase some other things before going home. Mr. Arnold, not having cash, borrowed the $3 to give the bereaved man. A search for the man's home the next day proved futile, and it was discovered that the check was drawn on a bank that had failed in 1895.
“Between sobs which would soften the heart of even an undertaker, he selected what he needed.”
This story highlights the enduring nature of 'social engineering' scams, where perpetrators leverage empathy and personal tragedy to lower a victim's guard. Even in 1903, the mechanics of exploiting trust for small monetary gain remained a reliable tool for grifters.
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