An old hay trader trick

A swindle discovered – The Montreal Daily Post Jan. 4, 1886

As Mr. Drew, Clerk of the Cattle Market, was weighing a load of hay on Saturday his attention was called to what seemed to be the arm of a man protruding from the hay near the top of the load. The owner of the load, when asked for some explanation, said it was only a coat, but this not satisfying Mr. Drew, an officer was called, and upon examining the load he found a man carefully concealed in the top, covered by the hay. He said he had been hired by the vendor to “allow himself to be weighed.”