Archive for December 6th, 2011

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Dec

There Are Fools and Fools Still

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: Dec. 6, 1905

There Are Fools and Fools Still

Fort Dodge People Taken in By Man With Latest Kind of Graft.

He Got More Than $500

Police Investigate Report as to Operations of Fake Clairivoyant (sic) and Find Them All Too True – Twenty-five Were Stung.

Investigation by the police of the story given them yesterday by an unknown woman to the effect that an alleged clairvoyant had victimized a number of people through the city for considerable sums, has proved the report all too true.

Secured About $500.

Captain Long, who took the matter in hand, reported this morning that he learned that the man gave his name at  T yler and advertized in the local papers that he would discover lost articles, give advice as to the future and tell the past. He was located at 502 Third avenue north and at this place the officer thinks he fleeced Fort Dodge people out of $500.

How He Operated.

One lady visited Tyler to learn how to act in some mysterious matter. He told her to secure two ten dollar bills and a five dollar bill and to bring them to him in a neat silk package. This she did, and he hung the sack about her neck, telling her to return in two weeks. She felt no uneasiness, because she could feel the bills in the sack. Others had the same trick played on them. Tyler would request them to bring two twenty dollar gold pieces or a couple of bills of some denomination. When this was done he would place them in a sack and tie it about the neck of the person, telling them to return in two weeks. On the appointed day about twenty-five persons gathered at Tyler’s place, and he was found to have flown. Examination of the silk sacks disclosed the fact that instead of bills they contained wads of paper and instead of gold pieces two half dollars.

Won’t Give Names.

Those who played the sucker act kept quiet about the matter, but in the manner related in yesterday’s Messenger it came to the notice of the police by a woman calling them over the phone. Some five or six of the parties that were taken in have been visited by Policeman Long and in each case they have begged him to withhold their names. Chief Tullar has a description of Tyler and will forward the same to the city marshals in neighboring towns.

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