Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-24
BEWARE OF THE BUNC0 MEN
Slick Methods of the Confidence
Tricksters.
AMERICAN BEEF TRUST AT WORK
Trying to Obtain Control Of British
Meat Supply-Chicago Packers
After Argentina Market.
Special Cablegram to- The Star.

Special Cablegram to- The Star.
LONDON. June 24.-The advice of Scot
land Yard is, Don't on yc... life talk to
strangers; this town is packed with bunco
.steerers' who are after your money"
This also is in substance the good advice
which Americans are giving their country
men newly arrived in London for the sea-
son. The advice appears to be very nee
essary warning against the wles of the
international confidence tricksters known
to Americans as 'bunco steerers" who are
now >f1ocking in shoals to London.
This year, apparently because a record
year N travel is expected, these swell mobs-
men have rushed to London by hundreds,
and over dozen expert gangs are known
to be at work. Already the London police
have received many complaints from con-
fiding Americans who have trusted we'll
dressed strangers and have lost their val
uables in consequence.
These confidence trick men are the aris-
tocracy of the criminal classes" said a
Scotland Yard official in an interview upon
this subject. There are so many crooks
in the world and they are SO daring; so
different in their methods Of operation; SO
difficult to bring to book. They travel like
princes and many of them succeed in steal
ing more than the income of a cabinet min
lister.
This year they are up to all manner Of
new tricks, for they are always up-to-date
the seasons arrangements. Many Of them
pretend to be multi-millionaires or even
English aristocrats.
Cling to Old Trick.
Their mainstay, however, is the old.
old trick of inspiring confidence, getting
their wealthy victim off his guard and
then fobbing him of all they can lay
hands on.
They are very hard to catch, for often
the person robbed refuses. to prosecute for
fear that the news of his folly will reach
his friends at home. 1t annoys the Ameri-
cans to let others know that any one has
got the better of them In this way-even
by trick.
They begin their tricks directly the
liner, on which they engage salon berths,
leaves New York. In the smoking room
they play cards with accomplices until
they have induced. others to take hand,
money.
ION their arrival in London the conf
dence men usually engage, rooms at the
best hotels. where they and their methods
lately and living on the fat Of the land.
they await their opportunities and make
the most Of them when they do come.
When a home-sick American is met in
London by Weil-groomed, prosperous ana
affable countryman, who, by strange
chance, knows the old home WELL he is
naturally taken off his guard at once. 1t
is not long after this that on some pretext
or other the American is induced to show
his valuables or money, and the~rest Is
easy for his new-found friend.
The chief stock in trade of these rogues
is the art of inspiring confidence. One
man, who posed as member of a mil
lionaire New York family, sold string Of
valuable horses >only a few days ago to a
new arrival who was anxious to shine as
the owner Of the stock. The only flaw in
the bargain from the point Of view Of the
purchaser was that after the confidence
man had vanished 1t was discovered that
the horses belonged to another and a re-
spectacle American"