The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-13
CLEVER sWiNDLE.
Scotland Yard Detective Tells of Two
Successful Tricks.

From the New York World
Speaking of clever swindles,' said a
famous English Scotland Yard detective,
who was over here on an important case
recently, to a group of friends in the
lobby of n well known commercial hotel,
reminds me of two which were success
fully worked In England not long ago
and the perpetrators of which we are
still looking for.
lone happened in Liverpool during the
time of the races. A stylishly dressed
man drove up to a jewellers shop in
Dale street and told the proprietor that
ne wanted to buy really good watch.
After looking at timepieces of various
prices, he finally chose one of the best
in the shop. the price of which was 45
guineas. In payment he rendered a
ESQ note, which the jeweller carefully
examined and after finding 1t to be all
right handed over the change. The Gus
toner put the watch carefully in his
pocket and was about to leave the shop
when another man entered and greeted
the first with
Why. hello. Charlie! Who would
have thought of seeing you? What are
you doing hereY
I've just been buying a watch was
the reply.
"'Well. if that isn't strangel I've just
come in to buy a watch, too. Let's have
| a look at yours. That seems a pretty
nice watch; what's the price Of 1t? 45
gunineas? I'll get one just like it.
''Whereupon the jeweller, delighted at
the prospect of making two good trades
in one day, produced another watch Of
the same kind and was handed another
$50 note. This he also carefully examin-
ed and detecting nothing suspicious about
its appearance again handed over the
change.
"The two friends linked arms and APP
preached the door of the shop when a
man of official appearance dashed up in
another cab.
All, I've caught you have ~ he said,
covering the two with a revolver. Then
turning to the jeweller he said: Have
these two men just given you two ESQ
notes?"
Yes, sir. replied the now frightened
proprietor.
We'll, they're forgeries, the cleverest
we have had In England In many a long
day I'm a Scotland Yard detective and
want you to accompany me with these
two men to the police station at once
Whereupon he handcuffed the two Gus
toners.
" I can't possibly come now, said the
jeweler. for I'm all alone in the shop
and my assistant won't be back for half
an hour.
We'll, never mind, give me the two
notes and follow us as soon as you can
get away
1.-THE notes were handed over and the
three men, two of them still handcuffed,
drove off in the cab. In half an hour the
jewcller hurried to the police station only
matter there and that he was minus his
two watches, his two ESQ notes and his
change.
'1he other was brought off in a suburb
of London. A little boy, who for two
or three days had been going to a small
grocery shop to buy groceries entered
one day with an old violin and bow lin-
der his arm. Approaching the grocer he
said
"'Please, sir, my fathers very sick,
and has got no money and asked me to
come and ask you IL you would let him
have few groceries on his violin. Faith
ers very fond Of his violin, and will come
in and pay you in few days and get 1t
back
THE kind-hearted grocer gave the boy
what he wanted and hung the fiddle up in
the shop. The next day stranger en-
tered the shop and gave quite an ex-
tensive order, which he paid for saying
that he had just come to live In the vicin-
ity. AS he was leaving his eye fell on
the violin and he remarked. You're a
musician, I see. That's an interesting
instrument
90 No. said the grocer, who proceeded
to tell the man the story of the little boy
and his old father The stranger asked
to see the violin, and after carefully ex-
aiming 1t commenced to play. That's
nice instrument he said I wonder
IL the old chap would sell it?'
"T don't Know replied the grocer
"'Well. when the boy comes back tell
him I'll give his father a e10O for it..
and I'll come in again soon and hear
what he says
','rhe next day the boy came back for
a few more groceries on the violin
These were at once handed over, and the
grover, thinking to make a good deal,
sent him back to his father with an Of
| fer of ESQ pounds for the violin Short
| ly afterward he came back with a tat
| tering old man. who, with tears In his
eyes, said that he could not part with
| his dearly loved instrument even for ESQ
A deal was finally made for eco and the
money was handed over
1.-THE grocer waited some DAYS for the
stranger to return and then took the
violin to be valued. It was worth about
| 5 shfllings."