Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-06-29
BUNKOING IN FRANCE.
ARE LIVING UP TO THEIR
 REPUTATION IN THIS RESPECT.


 Robbed Man of His ya1uables-A Good
 Joke His Uncle-How Four Young
 B1oods Dined Well and GheapIy.
 Two or three recent events have fully justified the reputation of the French for pre-eminent smartness in swindling. A wealthy Parisan returned to his apartments in the Rue Ballu the other day after week s absence with his family and found that all his plate and many articles of yertu, worth many thousand francs, had disappeared. The concierge who had been left in charge, an honest fellow, could not account for the robbery. He was sure nobody could have entered the rooms without his knowledge. No one had been there ex. cept some men from a furniture ware. house. They came the day after his master went away, bringing a very large wardrobe, which they said had been ordered the day before The con- eierge thought it strange his employer had not spoken of the matter, but he al- lowed the four men to carry the piece of furniture up stairs. They did it un- der his supervision, but with great diff. culty, for it seemed to be very heavy. The next day they returned, this time with small sideboard i'll their wagon. They made many apologies for their mistake. 1t had been q sideboard, not a wardrobe, which had been ordered, and they wished to make the exchange The unsnspeeting concierge permitted them to do so, and again superintended the operation to make sure that the men did not damage or steal anything. But the wardrobe had been like the wooden horse of Troy. 1t had contained not many warriors, but clever thief, who had spent the night packing the big closet full of the most valuable articles he could lay his hands on and himself
 A well to do Parisian WAS returning last Monday by train from Havre. Dur. ing the first hour of the journey his only fellow passenger in the compart- ment was pleasant spoken young man, who made himself very agreeable. Then others got i'll, and talk was general for little. Finally conversation Jagged, and the Parisian dropped asleep. Pres ently the young man began 10 ehuokle, and, turning to the other passengers, with a wink toward the sleeping man, said in an undertone, "I'll play Q good joke on my uncle, and he carefully unfastened the strap by which a small travelling bag WAS slung over the shoulder of the sleeper. s'I'll change into the next compartment at the first stop, and io II fz,x Ez has been robbed. It will be fun to see his face, and 1 can watch through the little glass in the partition. Don't give it away. y
 The others grinned appreeiatively, and the young man presently slipped out with the bag. Soon after the owner of the bag woke up. He looked about for moment. then missed the pouch from the strap and jumped mp in great excitement, exelaiming:
 s'I've been rObbedp'
 The response of his fellow passengers wgsS roar of laughter. This added an. ger to the victims excitement, and he stormed fprionsly. Finally, when they could laugh no more and the situation was becoming serious. one of the pas sengers begged tho angry man to calm himself. His bag was all right his nephew had it in the next compartment, and he would get it at the next station
 My pephew' shouted the bewilder ed man. T haven't any nephew. ] never had nephew. don't know any. thing about any nephew .
 Then it was the turn of the othe1 passengers to be dumfounded and crest fallen. But the thief got away, and there were several thousand francs iii bank notes in the bag.
 The proprietor of fine Paris restaue rant of a certain class was the victim of third swindle, though it was more joke than fraud A party of four young bloods dined one evening, not wisely but too we'll and too expensiyely at his establishment. After magnifi. cent repast in a private room there was a dispute about who should pay, and the proprietor was sent for Each of the diners declared that he was thers as the guest of the other three The dispute went on in q joeose fashion until the restaurant keeper threatened to call the police unless his money WAS forthoom- ing The four young mon were annoyed at this suggestion.
 ''ls that the way yeu treat gentle. men?" exclaimed ore of the party. Now, see here Since we are out for I lark l propose that we blindfold you, Mr. Proprietor, and the ppe of us whom you catch first will psy ior the supper and for two mere bottles of champagne. 'i
 The restaurant keeper agreed He | was securely blindfolded, and he groped i about the apartment in vain for quar-. ter of ap hour Then he pulled off the 1