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This week in history: Young man schemes officer out of $20 with bicycle ruse

130 years ago in 1894, transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

A slick youth. He hires a bicycle, then sells it to a policeman. Policeman then resells it. The owner steps in and demands his machine — how it all occurred.

Another slick young man has left the city with cash in hand, received by him from a city official and a policeman, Samuel Ward. Unless the man is apprehended, the policeman will be minus $20. The transaction is a queer one and happened thus:

A young man representing himself to be Isaac Rains of the east came here last week and secured boarding at a West Wood Street boarding house. He represented himself as a newspaper man, and said as soon as his partner came here from Pittsburgh a morning paper would be issued.

The first week’s board was paid in advance. Friday Rains appeared at F. H. Andrews’ gun store on South Phelps Street and requested a wheel. One was rented to him. He used the same wheel again on Saturday. On Monday he called at the gun store and said he had concluded to buy the bicycle, but wanted to try it once more.

He made the same representations to Morgan Lewis of the gun store as told at the boarding house on East Wood Street, viz.: that he was a newspaper man and would shortly start a morning paper here; that considerable running about would be necessary and both himself and partner would likely buy wheels.

An Eagle Aultair wheel, made by the Eagle Manufacturing Co., of the East, had been rented to him. Monday he took the bicycle out and since then Mr. Lewis of the gun store has not seen him. It seems that Rains rode directly to Ward’s gun store on East Federal Street and sold the wheel to Sam Ward for $30, receiving $20 cash, the balance to be paid later.

Rains skipped out, leaving a board bill and a few clothes at the house. By a queer circumstance the rightful owners discovered the wheel. A young man named Wales, an employee of the Ohio Steel Co., was desirous of securing an Eagle Aultair wheel and had been already at Andrew’s gun store looking at bicycles. The same wheel stolen by Rains was offered Mr. Wales at $150. He had tried the wheel and told Mr. Lewis he would purchase it. Happening in Ward’s store later on, Mr. Wales noticed the exact wheel that the F. H. Andrews store is agent for and the one he desired.

He at once made a bargain after trying the wheel to see if it was all right, and purchased it for $50 from Mr. Ward. Later the rightful owner learned where the wheel was, and last night Mr. Wales was notified that the bicycle belonged to F. H. Andrews of South Phelps Street. Information of the theft was left at police headquarters last night. A description of the thief was given. He is a medium-sized young man, wore dark clothes and is a slick individual.

Mr. Andrews of the gun store said to-day that any person could see that the bicycle was a high grade one, hardly ever used, and worth all that was asked for it, $150. He had tried to see Mr. Ward since the latter had purchased and sold the stolen wheel, but had not been able to do so yet.

Compiled from the Youngstown Vindicator by Traci Manning, Mahoning Valley Historical Society curator of education.

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