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BANK PKESIDENT IS DUPED. LISTENS TO A PROPOSITION TO CHEAT AND IS NOW SHORT 2,000. Swindling: Bookmaker Uses a Roustabout to Impersonate Jockey Nicol Skips Out with Money and Confederates. New Orleans, La., February C. If a story that is going the rounds tonight turns out to be true, the president of a local loan bank has been duped out of 2,000 and an easterner who lias been occasionally making book at City Park since the opening of the season, has, in company with two touts who were his confederates, decamped witli 0,000 of the money. As the story goes, the tout got into the good graces of the bank president during the holidays. He fed him supposed good things until ,000 had leeu lost. About a mouth was occupied in this manner. Then the tout introduced the bookmaker who convinced the dupe that his losses could be recouped by putting up a bankroll for a book. The bookmaker sprung a scheme to make a cinch lwok that looked good to the bank president. He showed the banker that Nicol was the best boy at the track and declared that he was able to have him pull all of his mounts on any day that lie would name for a certain percentage of the winnings of the book. It was decided that Saturday would be the best day for the job, for the reason that there would be more money in circulation. The bookmaker introduced a runty little roustabout as jockey Nicol nud tlie boy convinced the banker that he would do just what the bookmaKer had represented. The dupe was in the grandstand watching the races and awaiting results. When Nicol nuisued third on Gravina lie smiled. When he lauded In tWte- uottli viHiTJaek.-DolanTWsrlmrc uuUl when lie finished in no better position with Envoy the dupe laughed uproarously. Then came the Itobiu Hood race. The tout came up from the ring witli word from the bookmaker that this was the spot in which the grand killing would be made. Kobiu Hood was the even money favorite. The bookmaker would lay letter odds and get in the money. The banker sent back word to go the limit, as the boy seemed to be delivering the goods in great shape. He had given the bookmaker 0,000 for a bank roll and lie had visions of tripling that before night. But Nicol won the race on Robin Hood. The dupe fainted, they say. When lie came out of ills stupor it was with the declaration that lie had been rohhed. The Ixxikmaker, who had not taken a penny on Kobin Hood, pacified the banker. A meeting witli the "jockey" was arranged and when the little roustabout showed up at the St. Charles Hotel Saturday night he told the bauker that Robin Hood had run away with him and agreed to give a note for ,000 to make up a new bankroll with which the bankers 2,000 might be recovered. Tilings were growing entirely too warm for the swindlers and they skipped out Sunday night. It is not known whither they went.
