Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-06-23
ENGLISH BUNCO GAME
Confidence Men Are Making Most Of
Rich American Tourists.
ARISTOCRATIC CRIMINAL CLASSES
Many Travel Like Princes, Stealings
Running in Big Figures.
SWIFTS SOUTH AMERICAN FIELD
Steal March on Englishmen and Will
Control Their Supply, VI
SOUTH AMERICAN FIELD
ARGENTINA IS POINT OF ATT
Chicngo Packers Expect, q
sources at Command, TO N
This Important steD in the
European Campaign.

LONDON, June 22.-(special.)-T ad-
vice of Scotland Yard is, Don't on your
life talk to strangers; this town is packed
with ''bunco steerers" who are after your
money"
This also is in substance the good adj
vice which Americans are giving their
countrymen newly arrived in London for
the season. The advice appears to be
! very necessary warning against the wiles
of the International confidence tricksters
known TO Americans as "bunco steerers"
who are now flocking in shoals to London.
This year, apparently because a record
year in 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-
| hding Americans who have trusted we'll
dressed strangers and have lost their val
uables in consequence. These confidence
trick men are the aristocracy of the Grim
| inal classes" said a Scotland yard official
in 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 stealing more
than the income of a cabinet minister.
This year they are up to all manner Of
new tricks, for they are always up to date
and ready to play any part to fit in with
| the seasons arrangements Many of them
pretend to be multi-millionaires or even
English aristocrats
Take Victims on Guard.
"Their mainstay, however, is the old, old
trick of inspiring confidence, getting their
wealthy victim off his guard and then
robbing 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 Amer
leans to let others know that any one has
got the better of him In this way-even
by trick
"They begin their tricks directly the liner
on which they engage saloon berths leaves
! New York. In the smoking rooms they
play cards with accomplces until they
have induced others to take hand and
then they start to make their passage
money. On their arrival in London the
confidence men usually engage rooms at
the best hotels where they and their meth
ods are unknown Here dressing immacu-
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 homesick American is met in
London by a well groomed. prosperous and
affabIe countryman, who by a strange
! chance knows the old home WE'LL 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.
1 THE chief stock in trade of these rogues
is the art OF inspiring confidence. One man
who posed as a member Of a millionaire
New York family sold a string OF valuable
horses only a few days ago to a new ar
rival who was anxious to shine as the
owner Of the stock The only flaw In the
I bargain from the point of view of the pur-
chaser was that after the confidence man
had vanished 1t was discovered that the
horses belonged to another and a respect
able American"
Swift Invades south America.
An important contract which It is be-
/ lieved will have a far-reaching effect on
| the meat trade of London has just been
signed between the Arm of Swifts Of Chi
| cago and La Plata Cold Storage company
J of Buenos Ayres The purchase is re-
garded as an attempt on the part of the
Chicago packers TO obtain control OF the
meat supply of Argentina-by the way one
of the chief providers OF cheap beef for
London along Independent lines.
The American Beef trust has for some
years been endeavoring to obtain control
OF the British meat supply in the same way
as It has captured the trade IN the United
States. Although It has even obtained con-
troll of a number OF stalls IN the great
! Smithheld market, still II has not been
quite successful in London owing TO the
number OF countries from which chilled
/ and frozen meats are shipped to London
The moment the Chicago packers at
tempted TO force up the prices in the Eng
lish markets II appeared as though fresh
supplies were poured in from the markets
tof other countries, among them Argentina.
Argentina Is now said 10 be the chief
source OF supply OF the cheaper grades OF
frozen beef. Emissaries OF the Chicago
packing interests have for some time been
working in Argentina and their favorable
reports induced the trust TO make an at
tempt 10 enter the market. BY controlling
the American and the Argentina markets
there will be but little question about the
! ability Of the Chicago packers to control
even the markets OF Great Britain.
smoke Problem Being studied.
! There are many Instances in the history
OF mechanics and chemistry OF two scien-
lists working towards the same end with
corresponding results yet unknown to each
other. AS an instance there is the we'll
known case OF Harvey IN America and Ellis
and Tressider OF Browns works In shefheld
evolving the system of carburising and
chilling armor plates. Now there is an
equally important case as the result OF the
research which has long been in progress
In order to make coal smokeless when con-
sumed. Much has been promised tor coalits
and there are those who believe that this
fuel when used for factories and households
IN London and other large towns viii solve
the problem OF smoke II not also OF fog
But Il is equally interesting TO learn that
some Glasgow chemists have been working
in the same direction with like success and
arrangements are now well advanced by
the Glasgow company towards the oonstruo-