At the birth of the 20th century the advent of train travel throughout the United States brought assorted smooth-talking, quick thinking con men. These men took people's money. Seasoned journalist Will Irwin chronicled the true confessions of a master swindler, card cheat, circus barker and master of persuasion. THE CONFESSIONS OF A CON MAN details one man's apprenticeship into larceny and his journey as a criminal mastermind of daring swindles. This edition is NOT A REPRINT nor REPRODUCED FROM AN AGED, ORIGINAL ARTIFACT. This book has been an updated and edited and made completely accessible.Author Will Irwin was a progressive writer, journalist part of the muckraker movement who attacked corporate monopolies and political machines. He was one of America's original investigative journalists. Kicked out of Stanford University for disciplinary reasons, Irwin eventually earned his degree to become a contributor to the San Francisco Chronical. In 1904 Irwin penned the Bohemian Club Grove Play The Hamadryads. He wrote for The New York Sun and was managing editor of McClure's before becoming a columnist for Collier's. He was a renowned skeptic and much like Houdini exposed trickery associated with spiritualism. Most known for The City That Was: A Requiem of Old San Francisco, Irwin was married to feminist author Inez Haynes Gilmore.