The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-12-18
AUSTRALIAN SWINDLERS.
Sharpers Who Find Many Vic
Tins to Prey Upon.

who infest all Australian larger
towns and cities, and who live by
preying upon supplemented country
folk, unsuspicious foreign visitors
and fools at large. The spieler has
always one confederate or more,
sometimes he is the head of a con-
siderable gang, says the Philadelphia
Press.
The police of New South Wales de-
clare that there are at least 100
spielers always resident in Sydney;
the other state commonwealth capt.
tails suffer in proportion to their
population.
In person the spieler is a man of
respectable appearance and atfable
demeanor. A skillful impersonator,
his shape is protean; he is by turns
squatter, lawyer, a millionaire, a
lucky digger, supreme court judge,
gentleman of private fortune, an
English johnnie" fresh from
"home"-sporting a lisp and the con-
vention 'Haw! Haw Doncherknow,
deah boys!'-a parson, an eccentric
NNAiNA d DlldlSl lOOhllS
for investments for his money, or a
bookmaker.
He is always man of gentlemanly
presence; sometimes he is a gentle
man by birth. He always dresses
well and displays an abundance of
jewelry; sometimes he is a Jew. He
puts up invariably at the best hotels,
for at such places he meets the ma
jority of his victims.
He is a bird of passage, fitting
quickly from state to state, and he
never appears twice in the same char
acter in the same town or at the
same hotel. Finally, he is a man of
brains, keen student of human ma
ture, and an exquisite comedian.
Here are few of his favorite
tricks by means of which he con-
trives to "rook" the inexperienced,
to pay his confederates and live like
fighting cock himself:
His favorite character is that of
the wealthy do-nothing, blase man
of the world. In guise he attaches
himself to young men whom he meets
at the hotel, fast or giddy young
men whose tastes incline to gam
bling. Singing out a particular vic
tim, the wealthiest, or, at least, the
most foolish, he feigns a fancy and
fiatters the pigeon to the top of his
bent.
When the time is ripe, he hires two
rooms in some office building in the
city, which he furnishes lavishly on
the time payment system. Choosing
particular evening, he has his lug
gage taken to the railway station
(without his victims knowledge), and
then after dinner, off-handedly in
vites his dear young friend" to
troll around with him to his club.
The victim consents, and they re-
pair to the aforesaid two rooms, the
club" forsooth.
A confederate, in livery, admits
them. Other confederates are loung-
ing in both rooms, who, however, af-
feet to take no notice of the newcom-
ers. The spieler calls for drinks
The victim unsuspiciously imbibes a
drugged whisky and soda. Presently
the spieler introduces his protege to
his confederates.
A game of cards is suggested. The
victim sleepily agrees. He plays and
loses.
When he has lost all his ready cash
he signs blank checks, which are pre-
sented to him for that purpose by
the spieler. The spieler later on
takes him back in cab to the hotel,
his dear young friend" apparently
reeling drunk, and cashes his checks
over the bar, feeling the obliging bar
man literally for the service.
An hour later the spieler is comfort
ably seated in railway carriag e-on
his way to another town-often hun
dreds of pounds richer for his trouble.
AS a parson the spieler is an artist.
His pockets are filled with tracts,
his mouth with quotations from the
Scripture.
He is on a visit from a distant state,
and either his parish is impoverished
and he is collecting to build a church,
or he has a subscription list for some
poor, deserted wife or lonely widow,
deserving creatures, who have lately
been stricken by the hand of Provi-
dence and cast destitute upon cold.
cold world.
His victims in this case are charita-
BILE and God-fearing old men and wom-
en-. BE refuses nothing-a penny or
pound. His tale-recounted in can't
ing sing-song-would harrow the
hardest heart. Moreover, he obliges
all donors to sign their names on his
list, which he declares will be pub
lished, when complete, in all the lead
ing journals of the states.
In week he departs, covered with
sanctity and breathing benedictions,
in his pocket fat purse. At the next
town he discards 1.-THE cloth" and gets
hilariously drunk, because for whole
week he has been obliged by his saint
ly pose to taste only water.
Real Thing.