The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-08-09
PERVERTED INGENUITY.
An Account Of Some Remarkable shar
Practices.

amount of ingenuity applied to unwor
thy purposes might, if directed to hon
est pursuits, be rewarded with prosper
ity and happiness, instead of SO oftel
reaping harvest of detection and dis
grace. 1t is not, however, very flat.er
ing to our vanity to know that Will,
sharpers and swindlers abound, there il
never any lack OF ignorance and credu
lity to keep up the supply of dupes il
whose simplicity imposture and assur
ance find an easy prey. Continual dis
closures of fraud seem to have little ef
feet in acting as warning to impru
dence, or in bringing about further pub.
lie safeguards against repetitions of thil
form of dishonesty, the victim BEING
generally caught by the same much.
used but apparently not yet worn-oui
bats of the unscrupulous. Even the
cautious may occasionally be victim
lied by bubble companies and other
cunningly contrived pitfalls; even
tradesmen are constantly being taken
in by the same transparent tricks, ex-
posed by police reports every week. A
person goes, for instance, into store
and orders goods to be forwarded to q
certain address-that of q respectable
householder. The things are sent there
and left, and in due course somebody
calls at the house, saying that he has
come from the shop for the parcel, as it
had been left in mistake. The parcel is
delivered up to the supposed store
keepers messenger, who, of course, de-
camps with it, and is never heard of
again.
In London recently quite number
fell victims to the feathered cheat of a
certain bird-fancier before it was found
out. In his window was exhibited q
cage containing two birds, one an ordis
nary greenfnch with such plumage as
nature had been pleased to endow it;
the other. also member of the same
family of birds, but as pretentious q
humbug as its fellow was the reverse.
On the head of the unconscious bird was
snowy top-knot, while plumes of bril-
liant c0lors branched out from among
the ordinary feathers of its tail, glue
having unquestionably something to do
with the appearance of its borrowed
plumes. Yet this palpable burlesque of
a tropical bird was palmed off on nu-
merous unsuspecting persons by the
vender, who, pretending Ignorance Of
its name and value, trumped up some
story about nautical friend of his hav-
ing brought it home from "foreign
parts" Appearing indifferent to its
supposed rarity, and not caring to be
bothered with the unknown specimen.
in a sudden fit of generosity he parts
with it to the purchaser for the absurd
of sum ten times its real
value.
As bright an example of perverted in
genuity was developed in Paris during
The time of the Exhibition. Three per.
sons, it seems, are necessary to carry
out the trick, the ns0dus operandt of
which is as follows: A man, accompa.
MED apparently by his wife and daugh-
ter, enters shop in which the articles
lie about little carelessly, and the gen.
tieman at once goes up to the head as
sistant behind the counter and makes a
communication. 81 must
warn you," he says, ssthat my wife is
afflicted with kleptomania. Be SO good
IS to watch her, but not to say any
hing to her which might make her think
7ou have any suspicions." The elder
ady is consequently watched with great |
care, all the shop being on the alert
Some article is pilfered in due course,
he theft noticed, and the gentleman, on
going out, quietly and promptly pays
or what has been taken. While the |
'tore-keeper is congratulating bimself |
IN the honesty Of the husband, the trio /
ire making off with valuable booty |
secured by the younger lady, whose
had not been watched at all.
But the best part of the stratagem re-
mains to be told. In case the disap-
of the articles really stolen
hould be perceived q little too soon,
md the party be followed by the indig- |
liant shop keepers, nothing is easier !
han express regret and surprise that
here should have been other mistakes, |
md to return the articles with profnse
Ipologies. By this ruse q considerable
legree of safety is insured even il the
windlers are balked of their booty: the
cheme provides for escape as well as
or success.
A German in Paris lately adopted
han Wh1ch was successful IN desp0iling
Of their goods. Provided
nth loaf Of bread, which he carried
nconcernedly under one arm, he would
aunter up and down in front Of the
hop windows, till, Watching his oppor- I
unity, be would seize some small article
xposed outside, or otherwise within his
each, and secrete it in his loaf. Sus-
ected, and at last arrested, he was SUBJ
,cted to strict search, and was on the
oint Of being released, when some one
hought of the loaf, which the accused
ad laid unnoticed on form. On exam
ling it, . awstch, some rings, and other
Kissing articles were disclosed to the
lrprised spectators, apd another swim
ling dodge thus exposed.
Equally successful for q time was an
ther system of robbery practiced not
- - =