New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06
SOME LONDON SHARPERS.
HOW THEYLIE IN WAIT FOR THE uYwARl

4 DETECTIVES STORY or 4 CONFIDENCE GAME
PRA,TsFD At THT "ZbO.'
lFRoM A. oCCl sIoSAL coRKrsroNDENT Oh rnE rEiBrNE
LoXpoN, Nov. 81 wrote You the other
DAY about the adventure Of an American judo n the
strand late one night when ne lry sarrotei 10y
four women one of whom had first fallen down, appar
entity receiving injury and thus excited his -ynPahy
This. saI. was old London Tick. Another game ot
London confidence related To me by detective
att cicl the Albany Street Police clear headed
Intelligent man who knows an the ins and outs 81
London 49, well he knows tho alphabet There Is
anal, arr Of confidence men, told me. who Doe IN wait
for victims In Hyde PARK, especially watching Tor
visitors to the geological Gardens They have been
caught nj various Tunes aud have served longer or
shorter terms Of imprisonment; hut they gct
out they are back at their old tricks. Th"y once
attempted to play ther trick on detective at tho
Euson street Rail NAY station The detective PLAYED
with them for "a while ami then ran them ih' Ny
informant had been after them more than once one
case winch had been iutrust'd 10 him was mat oi
returned Australian had with hm something over
300 which he Entrusted 10 hcm and Of course never
saw again Tue latest victim that bad come unlcr the
detectives observation vas "a mAdie-Hse4 man from
lie seemed to be a Of more than ordinary inic
gcucr." said the detective ana to DE- l"mn WIN VA"
Way- o! tho world and yet ho fell the easiest sort o
Ho,", I and hal been I'm London several DAYS. enc
aftrrAonn no up to see the Ioo. lie had guide
| bpok his hand. | SUPP O-p the confluence men -dM
from this that no was stranger. will try 10 tel you
he ,i story a. he told II 10 that evening. had
no .0oncr passed the gate. he said than ard man
only Il, pence lie spoke loudly AMI turned. lie put
DON II a shilling came through aud said 7oirtAne to me
houf the charge. told him that gutdc-bOnk si ~
was sixpcnce certain days only lie said he had never
there before ana pToPo.si dst %s go S SloS
he was glad 10 meet fellow countryman he was from
New Orleans aud In the cotton business. ile gave
his name aud regr"tted thtt he had no cain -tNe
lin my carl aud address. lIo Inquired when came
over aud when was going back on course t0ll MN
without any apparent reason that remember he told Of
his transactions IN cotton; and alliIs out his porAet
$500. I was anxious % tue animals but be seemed
hurry Pretty soon he proposed th@i we should
! table where there were three chairs
"a moment later another begged pardon for
taking the hifd chair noticed that there were va ;aut
chars at other Italics aud Thought OF suggesting ihnt
there Was rOOm elscWh here The newcomer seemed To D.
under tho Influence Of liquor somewhat and began 10 talk
with rs. lilo was n rather iil-looklnS man, win a
Decided Irish brognc. My new found rcad-he sdd his
name was Patterson soon let HIM Enow That we were
from America, whcrcnpnn ho sad no was snrpriseu anu
delighted lie Was 80 glad to see any orc IRON ~
bccausr all he had he owed 10 America. nc shu ms
uncle his who had gone 10 Amcrlca many years neorc
had died and left him some t77Oo0 lie IN mace nis
fortune had been left To Leach on the condition That nc
s d give 9l7 900 10 the poor IN various parts OF the
world and he was looking Tor men who wold distribute
tins money His uncle lad Unlisted that the money Tor
poor should not be lntrused To hI! QUO VINO W1'
uurpo.c must that he mai some money OF Ms own
linen Leach told row lie had gone to schoomaster IN
and no had given him $500 for the poor 80 -.
npr cared to he Bnk OF England notes. We got up aad
walked about Leach was so fu apparently lnat ue
took no notice Of tire half whispered conversation tat
went on between P,,ttors0n Patterson said we
ought to get Of that money for the poor We couu
do II 40 well AS His check for $500 would con
vince Leach that he came NJ to lis uncle's require
men,s. He wanted to know how much III iney had !
told him That had $50 with nue. ana he th0ugh' mat
would be enough TO satisfy Leach. had eonsclenilous
scrupes against taking Leacl's money, but Patterson
pooh po0hed these aud said that anyway II didn't want
to take needn't spoll his game Then he ssid must
show my money 10 each to convince him dli 60 ~
and by sat down again Leach wanted us to drink
champagne whhcy with him. but Patterson lnsis9n
II drank any thing but beer we would attract io
attention OF passersb BY Leach TORI US tnht ms u Wo
Will had contested but had been sustained Mhen
m6nev 10 push his case lie TO the miller and TO
Others Of his ncyhbOrs In Ireland Tut no Ons put any
confidence IN him Patterson SAID that Of course we had
aud that would do anything Tor nun lie nss s
minutes Patterson said no would willingly. ana put hls
cneck for p82OO In IAnchs pocket. Then Leach aud
walked away out OF Pattorsons sight He took my aru
| aud expressed immense pleasure at tue c0nhurcn
reposcd in INN. He SAID lie wanted to reward Patterson
handsomely his conduct and asked whether thought
Patterson would prefer diamond ring or $50 shd he
would probably prsfer money. remomher tninEing
that If he offered me $50 Of my confidence In
him I would hesitation In taking It. We went
expected ia % from another direction Patterson
took his check Leachs pocket and said that was
willing to my cOnndence in Leach in the same way
Leach looked extremely grateful. had not said any
sucn thing but did not sec how could refuse. hhI
entire.conhdence Ia tho men ana 50 put my ~ w
Lcac q pocket Patterson took out his watch and asked
ne II IL right looked AT my watch and rem ehl
her thinking that II they had suggested that put my
watch In Leach's pocket shOnld have done 80 without
ns r. TO him Bnt they dia not AK for it. TRoy got
ana walked away. sat still fully expecting them 10
come back. But they did not ~, 1919. ~,
"Whon the California came to the police station,
detective on he seemed to be perfectly sops
had boon such fool asked him u he nt nenf 81, ~
confidence men and their Irss ne he hsen ' sbsoYey
Deceived OF 1t IA Dlan enough that tue c"sns
Docket COX full Of bank notes which Leach carried so
eareessy Worry likely the beer was dragged The only
thng wondered that they didn't get his watch