I checked California newspapers up to 1870 (cdnc.ucr.edu) and find lots of hits on "confidence man" but none for any abbreviation thereof: con man, con job, &c. Bob Stewart, Carson City In a message dated 9/26/2013 1:43:55 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Are you familiar with the pseudonym for a writer in the 1860s for the St.Louis Republican, Hans Patrick Le Connor? I wonder if the "Le Connor" could be in the spirit of "Josh" and "Snook." Were there references to con-men in those days? Am grateful for your contributions here. Thanks Arianne Laidlaw Sacramento