The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-12-17
a coNFIDENCE TRICK.
How an American Judge Narrowly Es-
capped Robbery In the Strand.


The reputation of London confidence
men and sharpers is well known. They
have an excellent field for their work.
London is so vast that it is difficult to
find them even il the detectives are
promptly upon their track, and they
change their quarters frequently. Then
the number of visitors to this great
Babylon is so large that victims arc
found without much difficulty. As many
of these are transient visitors. If the
bunco men-as they would be called in
America; do not know what corre-
spending term is used here-make
good ''haul," they leave the city or lie
in hiding until they feel sure that their
victims have gone. Then they can noe
be identified, if arrested, and OF course
will escape prosecution.
An American gentleman whom met
the other day told me of his narrow
escape from being robbed by what am
told is an s'old London trick" He is .
criminal judge in one of your Southern
States; and one would suppose that such
an official would be on his guard against
tricks of all kinds. He has been in
London many times before his present
visit, and thought he was pretty familiar
with the city and its ways. Let me re-
late his experience in his own words:
Il have been living" he said, Elm q
private hotel in one of the streets lead
ing from the Strand to the Thames, not
far from Temple Bar. 1t is a convenient
place to reach and found it comfort
able and satisfactory in every way. ]
have been in the habit of going to my
lodgings at all hours of the day and
night. Twas on my way thither through
the Strand about o'clock one morning,
al hoA oil hsaA fha CT.
which my hotel is situated, when saw
a woman not far in front of me APP
parently stumble and fall to the side
walk. She was alone. She cried out
as if hurt, and fastened my steps and
ran to her assistance. / helped her get
up, but she complained of great pain in
her ankle, and could hardly stand. She
began to cry bitterly, and said she
didn't see how she was to get home. /
asked her where she lived; she named
the street, which knew was more than
a mile away. told her that she would
have TO take cab, and that would
call one. Still crying and complaining
that she was severely hurt, she said she
could not take cab, as she had no
money to pay for it. My sympathies
were aroused, and 1 said that would
give her enough to pay her cab-fare.
out some silver coins. at the same
time, 1 stepped toward gas-lamp In
order to pick out the right amount
''Quick as flash of lightning the
woman seized my wrist, and some Of
the coins went rafting down on the
pavement. At this moment three other
women appeared. / had seen nothing
of them before. They seized me by the
arms and around the waist. instantly
comprehended the situation. was the
victim of a confidence game, and was
being robbed-or would be in moment
unless l made vigorous resistance. I
had my umbrella in my hand. strug-
gled violently with the four women, and
at length managed to break away from
them. ! started on q run at full speed
for my hotel, only few rods away.
All the women were in hot pursuit.
You know all those streets running from
the Strand down to the river descend
pretty rapidly, and as I was going down
/ got under such Roadway that could
not stop when l reached my house.
stopped just below it, however. and tried
to turn, when the women seized me
again. They pounded and kicked me
viciously, but did not get anything out
of my pockets. used my hands and
feet and umbrella as best could. but
am afraid they would have been more
than a match for me.
''By good fortune, however, while the
struggle was going on in front Of my
hotel, the door suddenly opened. and
the landlord appeared in it. ! told him
I needed help, and he came out. The
women then set upon him, and, taking
advantage of the opportunity, / broke
away from them, and ran at full speed
80. Al. LoAoI Tf.,.,s5 49, .,--.A-.9
la was pretty badly used up, and my
several days. Since then have carried
stout cane whenever am out late at
night. never asked the landlord how
he came out of the fight. was TOO
glad to get away myself to bother about
him; but 1 fancy he suffered little dam
age. l only lost few shillings."
"Why did you not make an outcry
and alarm the policeP" inquired.
''Ah," wzs the answer. s'that was the
very thing was careful not to do.
Don't you see, they were four to one,
and, if a policeman had come, the
chances were that they would accuse me
OF assault and would be locked up for
the night. Or. if my story had been be-
lieved, they would have spent the night
in the police station-a matter Of no
consequence 10 NoI1an Vi lIltlt clt1co-
and, if the matter had gone further.
should have to go to the Police Court to
prosecute them. did not care for pub
licity in that way. Oh, no, didn't
want the police to have any hand in the
matter so far as I was concerned. You
may think was stupid to be taken In
by such trick. have been told since
that it is a trick very commonly prsc.
ticed in London, but had never heard
of it before. / am sure that it would
readily impose on any one who was
ignorant of in 2. Tribune.