Connecticut western news., 1890-01-08
ENGLISH DECEIVERS.
SOME OF THE PETTY IMPOSTORS
 OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.

The Family Blaok Sheep Stranded in ... New York.
 Doubtless no class of adventurer has been so generally successful i'll hood winking fashionable New York as the impecunious young Englishman of fairly good address and a presentable wardrobe.
 A day or two since, the writer met one of these lively young Englishmen. His family had given him an outfit and liberal supply of money to go out West and stay away from home, where he kept them in constant terror by his wild escapades and general worthlessness. He never got any further West than Niagara Falls, and even on the steamer coming out he be- gan to magnify the importance of his family and hint at connections he never possessed. In short time his money was all gone, and from fashionable hotel he removed, leaving an unpaid bill behind him, to an obscure uptown boarding house. The misrepresenta- tions of this individual were, perhaps, of harmless sort, and he doubtless considered himself the victim of cir cumstances. The only effort he ever made to get work was to insert an ad- .vertisement in newspaper saying that "a young man of excellent connections and education would accept position as agent of an English house or as private secretary"
 By making bold bluff to tailors and matters, who are almost as gullible as the Anglo-maniacs, this individual managed to keep up outward appear ances. His board bill had been chung up," as he expresses it, until remit tances could arrive from abroad. This young man has written letter asking for help to every relative he has in the world. One of these was brother in-law, banker in London, whom he had never seen, but who knew the type we'll enough to send curt note back declining to come down with a cent. The outlook for his raising the wind is gloomy at present, but he will probably degenerate until the family will be obliged in self-defence, to take him away from New York.
 The Atlantic steamers form favor ite stamping ground for social adven-
 urers of all kinds, especially for the English young man. Grooms and the sons of gardeners, ex-valets and for mer gamekeepers, there pose as repre- sentatives of the British aristocracy. The American girl falls down and worships at their feet, and her brothers and cousins consider it an honor to lend money to the gentleman in dis tress, or be relieved by them of their cash at cards. Some humorous on- counters frequently arise out of these steamship acquaintances. Not long since young Englishman who had sold lace in a London haberdasher' s passed himself off as member of a well-known Yorkshire family. All the way across he was speaking to mem- Der of that very family, who amused himself with the impostor, and only exposed him when land was sighted. Another chap was introduced to the very man he was impersonating. The victims of these scalawags are gener- ally so much disgusted at having been swindled that they keep the secret even from their friends.
 It is remarked that the English social swindlcr avoids practicing his tricks in his own country, and fights shy of Englishmen whom he may meet abroad. In London they have relentless system oA lHlulli HE 1AtO d AlldA aHlCCOuCAee, or insisting upon the proper introduce tions before he will be accepted, but l the rules there are relaxed with foreign | CTS. The road for an obscure English man to recognition in London society is via the continent. The cool recep- | ton which claimants to social eminence from other European countries have met with here has damaged the industry, and even genuine continental titles do not count for very much in New York. At any rate, England is the only country which provides the Sir Reginald Jalbots and the Albert Suttons to prey upon American Anglo maniacs, and it is only all isolated in- stance when Prince Tristoff de Gourie or a Count Montercole succeeds in find | ing a victim here.
 A Dogs Affection and Intelligence.
 A family living ill Detroit have re- gently removed to new house built for them on one of the avenues. It is handsome building of the modern