Wichita eagle., 1888-04-27
SWINDLERS ABROAD.
HOW AMERICANS ARE FLEECEO BY
THE WOMEN IN LONDON.

A Good Place for Strangers to Keep
Away From-Sketches of Dark Life in
the British MetropoIis-A Bit Of E1-
perience.
! Although the male swindIer IS dangerous
! and much to be feared, it is the female OF the
species that reaps the harvest. Protected oT
her sex, the dissemination Of man to pro
/ coed against a woman, the ease with which
/ she can blast the character Of q man by the
reason Of the readiness we accept story
which attributes unholy lust 70 our fellow
creature, are all known factors 10 her in the
problem OF making livelihood. Beginning
J at the lowest class-the London street walker
you find them in London in larger num-
/ bers, bolder and more persistent than in any
place in the world The larger number cruise
/ about the Criterion, where there is favorite
American bar. After II o'clock till or 1:3O
o'clock in the morning this congregation is
one of ths sights of the city, and the traveller
generally sees it. His danger there is not
greater than in any other similar company,
unless he should be beguiled by some Of these
midnight sirens. They are there by thou
sands, the sidewalks and even the street itself
D
preyed upon, gilded youth and hoary age,
chatting. laughing, swearing and singing in
one vast saturnalia in the midst Of the most
boosted civilization The hobbies" move
among them to keep everybody else moving
and watching for lawless outbreaks, Of which
they have few to repreSs, but other official
functions he does not assume.
! Turning from these the visitor, with much
+ fo- 1k-= 70 hot Al
1t matters not in what direction It may be,
strange figures of women will fit across his
pathway, curious inquiring faces will be IN
expectedly thrust into his own, and vague
forms standing in obscure corners will OBJ
serve him as he strays through the otherwise
deserted streets. Beware Of the one who ad
dresses you. Do not reply if you can avoid
it, but under no circumstances stop and par
ley with her, for you invite one Of the most
! common dangers that London offers the
stranger within its gates
Let me take an illustration furnished from
the private experiences of a gentleman from
Pittsburg who lodged in Russell square, and
who strolled home from the Gayety theater
by way Of Drury lane and Bedford place
He had just turned into Bedford square when
he encountered woman standing hesitat-
as one who had lost the way. 4 beg your
pardon, sir; can you tell me the way to the
Midland stationa fear l am lost" she said
The polite American stopped Yes, although
/ a stranger, he could and would tell her the
way-follow this street around Russell square
into Woburn place to St Pancras' church
the first church on the right-turn to the
right there and the Midland station would be
in sight. He was walking part Of the way
and would explain further. As they crossed
Bedford square they chatted easily until they
/ came TO his lodgings, where he stopped and
! said: "You can't miss your way now"
/ "No," she replied. THANK you, much
! obliged; but you can't go in unless you give
me e5.n And she got between him and the
door.
/ Five pounds, my good madam! What
forr'
Five pounds. You have beguiled me 70
walk with you, assaulted me and tried to in
duce me to come to your rooms. Five pounds,
or scream for help An invalid wife with
in, an urbs incognita without, @ hasty
thought Of the conditions, a hearty curse a
smile from the lady, who pushed the crisp
note into her bosom, and our friend was
standing alone, perspiration falling like rain
from his forehead.
FRIENDS ADVICE
The next day he told his friend, a london
friend, about it.
Bless your transatlantic heart" said he,
.vou do not suppose that such dangers
menace Us! Why, we live here. 1t is the
stranger who is preyed upon. Should a
woman address you again and threaten to
scream you seize her by the wrist and tell her
~ -fI,r,
come. She'll break away and run and you
must let her do itn
Sure enough he was soon waylaid again
The question was for a chemist shop, spoken
in tones so pregnant with grief and distress
that the American stopped, despite his resolu-
ton never to exchange word with the IN
protected London female.
Il want pound said the woman. "Give
il to me or viii call fer the police
you call them said the American, seiz-
ing her arm I'm hold you till they come"
And she did call, and the police came and es-
corted them both To the station house. The
inspector on duty entertained cross charge
and locked them both up. The magistrate IN
the morning fined the woman two and six,
and told the American his position was open
to very reprehensible construction and he
E
mad that he paid the woman's fine, deter
mined that justice sJlch as that should not
have the qualification Of locking the woman
up As reward for al this the newspapers
ell published report of the eccentric Amer
ican;' his wife got well enough 20 voyage
home on the Saturday Cunarder, and he fol-
lowed alone in the White Star ship on the
next Tuesday. 1t was months before they
made up, and now when on his visits to Lon
don, where his business frequently calls him,
he traverses is streets in q close cab. and sets
well back in it, too.
As matter Of fact the American is not
favorably regarded in any capacity, whether
defendant or complainant, IN the English
police coUrtS.-London Cor. Philadelphia
Times
Growing Old Gracefully.
II now and then you will 60 to your