Full Description
Richmond in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was home to a lively underworld of tricksters, swindlers, confidence men and thieves. The former Confederate capital's under-staffed police force and dense population--large numbers of immigrants and the very poor--accommodated the enterprising criminal.
Newspaper reports of the day offer a glimpse of a wide variety of crimes and misdemeanors, often with a bit of humor or pathos. Based on reports from the proceedings of the Police Court, this book provides a portrait of Richmond--then the most congested city in the U.S.--during the "Golden Age of the Con," when gamblers, hustlers and frauds plied their trades across the country.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
1. River City
2. Resurrectionists
3. Clairvoyants
4. Plungers
5. Confidence Men
6. Money Sharks
7. Fakir Paradise
8. "Shoving the Queer"
9. Larceners
10. Footpads
11. Cracksmen
12. Dips
13. Suspicious Characters
14. "American Nobility"
15. Narcoticists
16. Kidnappers
17. Fugitive Felons
18. Forgers
19. Embezzlers
20. Impostors
21. Drummers
22. Postal Robbers
23. Railway Disrupters
24. On Board Troublemakers
25. The "Big Train Robbery"
26. Gold Brick Caper
Glossary
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
