The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-10-31 00:00:00

THE YANKEE IN LONDON.

- -
At the Southwark police-court, in London, Richard
Smith, rather a respectable-looking elderly man, was
charged with being, concerned, with another man not in
custody, in cheating William Brooks out of £lO.

The prosecutor, a young man about twenty-five
years of age, said he only arrived at Liverpool three
weeks ago from New York, having travelled in the
mining districts both in the United Stat, s and Canada
for same time, and it was his intention to embark in
some husine,s in London. On Thursday afternoon he
was walking along the Strand, looking about him,
when a man came up to him and asked hitn the way
to St. Paul's. He told him he ilid not know, as he
WAS a stranger, having come up from Liverpool only
two days before. The man said he was likewise a
stranger in London, and they got into conversation,
and after looking at St. Paul's, they entered a bee
house near Blackfriars Bridge and had some ale.
While they were there the prisoner came in, and after
some conversation he said he had just come into posses-
sion of £3.000, ant had that afternoon received £lOO from
his lawyers, which he had in his pocket, but he was
afraid he should lose it as he had promised to meet
a female near the Wolsh Church. The other man
told him he had better not go, but lend the money out
at interest. The prisoner exclaimed, "Ah, that's
true, I am a moneylender, and would not mind lend-
ing you 1:20 each, providing, you can prove yourselves
rispectabe." The other man told him they could
easily do that, when the prisoner observed, "Then
you must show me some money to prove your respect-
ability." Witness had no money, and the other man
suggested that they should each go to their lodgings
and fetch ten pounds. Witness agreed to that, and
fetched ten sovereigns. When he returned to the
beershop the prisoner and the other man were deep in
conversation. At their suggestion they crossed the
bridge and entered a public house in Bermondsey-
street, when the prisoner and the other man put what
appeared to be sovereigns in a hat, and tossed together
The other lost, and then suggested to witness to toe'
the prisoner, as he would be sure to win his money.s
After some little hesitation witness put ten sovereigns
in the hat, and after a minute or so the prisoner tossed
up Home coppers on the table, and the other man said
that witness had lost his money. He then had n

doubt that the prisoner and the other man were I
sharpers, and had cheated him out of his money.
While witness was hesitating what to do the prisoner
said, "If you'll get a proper stamp each and fill !
them up, I'll lend you V.% ' The other man thanked
him, and called witness out of the room to go and buy
the stamp, saying it was all right, the prisoner would
be sure to wait until their return. The other man and
witness walked about to several shops, mud at last he
missed him suddenly. He accordingly returned to the
beerhouse, and the prisoner had decamped. He said
nothing about it to the police, but on Friday morning,
as he was passing up the Strand, he saw the prisoner
about to leave a public-house. He at once seized hold
of him, and said, • You rassaL You are the man who
robbed me of £lO a week ago in Bermondsey." The
, prisoner said, "Oh, its all right; come with me to my
lodgings, and I'll give you the money back." Witness,
however, handed him over to the custody of a
! constable.

In cross-examination, witness saidthat in the United
States they gambled a great deal, and played "Poker"
for money, but where he had been they had very little
money. F.e seldom saw a piece of gold at the mines.
lie had never been in the habit of tossing.

The magistrate remanded the prisoner to enable the
police to find the other man, agreeing to accept two
sureties in £lOO each for his appearance.