The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-07 00:00:00

A LONDON INDUSTRY.

The following communication, which has been sent
to The Times for publication, is illustrative of some of
the "Tricks of London
I know no better means of saying many person. from
certain deception and birds from possible cruelty Moan to
describe to you the proceedings as they have come under my
personal observation of a gang of tuen Law infesting our
streets.

Two men, one In the guise of • working-man, apparently
meeting for the first time as strangers, cross the path of the
intended human victim. The " working-mum " hells in his
baud a bullfinch, which, lu answer to the strangle inquiry,
he says he has just caught, but that, being a first-rate piper,
II must have epcapiii from a cage. An offer to give lb. or
Li made by the straugAr meeting with an Indignant refusal
to part "for such • trifle' with a bird 'worth a fire-pun'
note" is supposed to arrest the attention of the speculative
or the biril-fancytng passer-by, Belot neither the one nor
the other, but having some knowledge of the ways of the
I..ondon world, I took care to make no sigh that I had
observed the conversation when it was first held for my
benefit, and was rewarded for my scepticism by hearing the
" working.man," who walked along caressing the bird by my
side, called rsw..y by his new ac -habitats., who had dropped
to the rear, with these words, "Come along, Bill ; it's no
use."

° In vain lithe net spread In the sight of any bird," so you
may imagine that on the same scene iwing played ir my
presence a week or two afterwards in the streets of the City
which had before been enacted in firompton I was not more
tempted to become a purchaser of the valuable captive,
which, I should add, appeared quite tame.
Success does, however, sometimes reward the cheat, as I
new find that two hellos, friends of mine, have on two
se,earate occasions In Itelgravia within the lest ten days
ellen into the net, allured by the assurance that the vendor
did not care so much for the money as to secure a kind
mistress' for the poor fugitive bird In consideration of
which he kindly consented to take the small sum of half-a-
sovereign for it the bullfinch was to nil appearance for the
first day or two In perfect health, but its piping qualities, it
Is needle's to say, were of a negative character, so far as
time admitted of their discovery. f.e. In each cue it was at
the expiration of two days found dead In its cage (upon the
perch .4 which It Mid never lighted), though with plenty of
suitable food and water within reach.

Whether the bird was drugged or plied with stimulants as
noxious as drugs to give the desire I appearance of tameness,
Mr F. 0. Morris or sonse of your correspondents learned in
these matters wonld possibly be able to tell. That something
is done which ultimately causes the death of the bird soon
after the coveted coin has passed Into the hands of the
philanthropic working-man seems pretty clear; but one
thttnt is a,ove doubt, that a well-trained piping bullfinch
worth £5 is not to be bought for a song from a strange
man in the streets of L mdon, a fact which it will be well
for the public to bear in mind when the opportunity offers.
May 31. lIERBFAT C. SAUNDERs.

The Times of Wednesday thus supplements the
foregoing :

With references to the letter from Mr. Herbert C. Saunders,
whioh appeared under this heading in The Times of )eater.
lay, several c irrespondenta writes to m hut they have neen
themselves or seen others Unpoord upon by the same swindle
under nearly Identical elrcumstancee. C. F." say, that •
few days ago she happened to have taken a retort, ticket
from Bigwore.road to Sloane-square, when .he observed a
;nen with a birdcage full of birds entreating a boy to run
after an apparently " working man" and offer him a
sovereign for " a piing bullfinch," adding, "the bled is
worth .C. 5. Our correspondent proceeded on her way, and
had tier attention attracted by the "working man," who
ism caressing a handsome bullfinch. Struck by the beauty
or the bin,, she stopped to admire it. The w irking num,
begging her pardon sail. ' This bird must have been a
great pet, arid has, no doubt, °scared from Its cage, I
have done my beet to have It claimed, I am too poor to
buy it a cage and food, and all I wish le to sell it to some
fairy who will behind to it and make a pet of it That Is why
I refused a sovereign Justoffered to me by that bird fancier."
touched by the nian's manner and his appeal. "C. F." asked
what he wanted fit the bled; he answered, "Anything from
a lady, as I am only thinking of the bird." Our correspondent
nag no particular fonduees for birds, anti looked upon the
captive rather as an additional trouble anti anxiety, but her
getter feelings conquered, and she emptied her purse, con-
taining about 75., into the "working man's" hand. During
this operation, and sith no small dexterity, he put what
seminal to he the bird into paper bag, desiring her to be
careful not to open It hi the street. as It would be frightened
at the sight of a stranger, and she might lose it. She had
carried the bird a few yards, when, on turning round, she
saw the tenthr.hearted "working man" making his way
AA fast as his legs would carry him round a corner, at sight
llf a policeman. Feeling her sucposed bullfinch very un-
, easy in its paper bag, she then ventured to take a peep at
the captive, and to her surprise discovered it to be
I a very ugly wild greenfinch. She spoke to the con-
stable, who expressed burnt're at her credulity. He to rk
her name and address, but said those " working men"
wero very dexter°os in eluding the police. Oar COM,-
epondent aids that a very few dais sluce the trick haa
neett successfully tried in the Edgware-road. Mr. T.
J. Saunders writes that he has long been aware of
the painted sparrow trick, and was once, many years ago,
the vhtint of the spectacle trick. Alsout three weeks sineu
he was walking up (tloncester.road, Regent's-park. Ills
attention was celled to two men speaking rather loudly,
when he saw a ha...ketcher holding out his hand and ap
pareetly OfferillW 11101ley to • Weller for • Canary, which
the latter vehemently ref used, and started ear/. Mr.
Saenders heard the birdcercher any to a little boy who was
with him thot that bird wr. at least worth a sovereign. As
our correspondent went on the hatcher who, by-the by was
dress,- d to the nines, without a hat) come close to his std',
when he foolishly said to him, Dint part with that bird as
the NH catcher said It was worth a sovereign." Ile expressed
his thanks, and said the bird had come astray into his house
about a fortnight back, he had been trying to find an owner
and had been to the police about it, but no one had appeared.
He therefore considered himself at liberty to sell It, his
wife was anxious to part with it, and he wished a kind per.
son would purchase It, and in c.mside ration of that circum-
stance he would take it for It lily correspondent says that
happening to have his wits dormant at the moment, he pur-
chased the bird without even examining it. Of came, It
waa a linnet, Just caught, and had to he set at liberty.
"A, B. F." writes that an attempt was made to switolle
him in tho neighbourhood o. Laocastorgate on Friday, the
30th ultimo. The owner of the bird in this instance w. a
grocer's boy, who was of an apparently similar sensitive
dispesitlon to Mr. Sammie.' "working man." This lad
offered a tame bullfinch, warrsnted to pipe "God save the
Queen," to our correspondent's uncle, for a pound, in pre-
ference to trusting it lu the hands of n cruel Ifirdfaricier,
who we. willing to Rive a much larger sum for it. The boy
was aaked to take the bird to our correspondent's houm,
and leave it there until next morning, when, In the
event of Da having been heard in the interval to pipe "God
save the Queen," he would receive 305. for it. This offer,
however, did not lu the least seem to meet his view, and
he took his departure, stating that he was afraid the bird
might die where he to leave it. Mr. L Vanderpant writes
that in the early part of the year, at dust, somewhere in
the vicinity of Wanton...street, his attention war attracted
to a lad, dressed as a butcher, who pushed rapidly by him,
and muttered something In a tone that seemed to imply that
he was in fear of some pursuer.; almost immediately two
of the roughest specimens of the Seven Dials mimed Min—
one of whom sold 'The Bloke's got a yellow-crested pipin'
bullfinch, worth a five-run note.'" Walking quickly, our
correspondent overtook the butcher, who Informed him that
the bird had flew. into his master's shop, and Ile had al-
lowed him to go out for half an hour to endeavdir to dispose
of it. The men who were followthg him hail offered him
six "hot, '' Ile did not care for the money; only wanted to
be sure the poor little thing would be taken care of, rte. He
would part with it for 15e. During this conversation he had
walked quickly away with the butcher through some narrow
covets, and, riot liking the locality he was Ind- ring. expressed
his regret to his companion at Ming unable to take charge of
the bird, bade him f erewell, at the name time not having the
Highest suspicion that the affair 05a a ' London lutiustry."

Tins QUEEN AND HER TENANTRY.—A few
days ago (-aye a telegram from Balmoral) her Majesty
drovy to the glen of Aberardkr, to visit some of the re-
lations of her personal attendants. Mr. and Mn.
Donald Clarke, Belmore, were the first honoured with
• vait from their royal mistrals, who entered ir t
familiar conversation with the worthy couple, and par-
tick cf the homely fare which the gudewife placed on
the plain deal table before her Majesty. Subsequently
lii. Queen visited Mr. Francis lays, farmer. After
several other nails the Queen returned to 13almoral,
having spent several bourn in the glen.