The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-03-25
chambers journal.
Ingenuity MiSapDIied.

[Cbambers' journal.
Ingenuity Misapplied.
Who that views in detail the career
OF the successful swindler by whose
involved proceedings extensive frauds
are perpetrated, is not struck with the
knowledge of human nature, and the
ability for commercial enterprise often
exhibited-an ability which applied to
some better purpose, might have raised
the clever thief to position of use
fulness and Importance! But apart
from the efforts Of the commercial
swindler, with his forgeries, false
entries, and years Of deceit, what in
stances are there not on record of, on
the one hand, the ingenious plans of
him whose energies are directed against
the property Of his fellow, and on the
other, Of a marvellously foolish Gre
dulity, which frequently enables the
most shallow contriver to create for
himself time of harvest.
If what is known of the operations
of swindlers were more extensively
published, no doubt the effect would
be to diminish in some degree the ma
tional stock of credulity; though, as
we have had frequent occasion to re-
mark, it would seem that for every
swindler who exists, there are hun
dreds who are ever ready to be swim
died. In the police reports there are
cases almost daily of the most paltry
tricks, against which people would
need to be constantly on their guard.
We throw together few incidents of
this kind, which, the reader will re-
mark, are not without their comic
side
Some years ago one of her Majesty's
judges, taking his seat on the bench
little later than usual, in the course of
an apology to the legal gentlemen in
his immediate vicinity, remarked that
he had not come direct from home,
and having left his watch under his
pillow, had not been aware of the ex-
act time. This observation was not
entirely lost on at least one person in
court, for when his lordship returned
home, he found that an obliging gen.
tleman had been kind enough to call
for and obtain "the judges overcoat,
and the watch left under his pillow
Some time ago base fraud was
sion of the races, when every place
was thronged, man, apparently a
barman, entered the smoke-room of
one of the hotels, and fourishing what
he termed twenty-pound note, de-
sired to be informed whether any of
the company would be kind enough to
change it, or to lend his master twelve
pounds till he should obtain change.
Twelve sovereigns were soon forth
coming; and the pseudo-tapster,s say
ing he would have the note changed
as soon as possible, made his exit,
donned his overcoat and hat, which
he had placed on the stairs, and disap-
peared.
Fortunately for jewellers, transac-
tions of the kind now to be described
have not often occurred. Some time
ago, fashionably dressed lady SWIM
dler carried on her operations on a
gigantic scale, but was soon detected
as she deserved to be- Her mode of
procedure was as follows. Arrived in
strange town, and in possession of
the information necessary for he1
purposes, he repairs to the residence
VI soy III. DlOWH. W WuOl1, Will
tears in her eyes, she tells most pa
thetic tale of her husbands mental
alteration, their needy circumstances.
and her consequent inability to pro-
cure reliable medical advice; finally
prevailing on the doctor to consent to
see the lunatic, one of whose halucin-
ations, he is told, is that he has per-
petual possession Of a valuable parcel
for which he requires payment. She
then proceeds to the establishment of
the jeweller honored by her choice,
and selects large quantity of Jewell
lery, which she desires sent to the
house Of her uncle, the well-known
DR.: Brown, who will pay for it on
delivery. This seems all right, and
an assistant reaches the medical man.
sion at the appointed time. The
shady niece is careful to be there too,
and again interviews the doctor, whom
SIZE mournfully informs that her poor
afflicted husband has arrived, worse
than ever about his parcel. To obtain
possession of the valuables is the work
OF moment on the part of the sham
niece; and when this has been accom-
plished, the unsuspecting tradesman
is ushered into the presence of the
physician, as lunatic! Naturally he
refers to the articles which are to be
exchanged for the doctors gold, and
the doctor has no idea of exaggerating
his patients mental condition by con-
tradiction. Let the reader imagine
the rest-the swindler speeding from
the spot with her precious plunder-
the embarrassed jeweller reiterating
the object of his visit-the doctor in
forming him that it is all right, he
will have cheque directly-the vic
tim growing uneasy perhaps, and en-
deaving to force his way out-the
doctors henchman rushing in and Sc
curing the madman-his shrieks and
frantic struggles proving, to the salts
faction of his captors, that he is not
only a mailman, but dangerous one
the binding Of him hand and foot;
and in earlier days, when the process
Of :'making a lunatic" was much less
difficult than now, his forcible remoy-
able to an asylum!
The establishments of jewellers ap-
pear to enjoy an inconvenient share
of popularity amongst swindlers. On