Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-25
SAVE LONDON SEASON
Over 10000 Americans in the
City Since May.
POURED IN A FLOOD OF GOLD
Everybody Happy and Had Good
Cause to Be.
MECCA OF THE CONFIDENCE MEN
Phenomenal Run Of Luck Attending
81. r. Rea-He Lost Only to
One Pickpocket.
dECCA OF THE CONFIDENCE MEN
Special CabIegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
LONDON. August IA dismally wet
summer and save for a very brief period
Londoners one redeeming feature has
been record American season. Estimates
of the number of Americans who have
visited London since May vary from 10000
to $1,000. In the old days. when the Lon
don season lasted till the end of July, bust
ness in the West End was practically stag
nant until society returned Nowadays as
compensation for the earlier close of the
season proper American visitors make a
second season from which everybody bene-
lts from the Bond street diamond mer-
chant to the hanson cabby.
One writer calculates that Americans this
year have spent 81 100000 in London. At
one Of the largest hotels which has housed
6.600 Americans since March, the average
bill of each has been $3.50. There are at
least five hotels which can give similar
figures.
London has not been favored by spenders
alone, it has been great season for those
gangs Of grafters. card sharps and pick
pockets who regard 1t as their mecca In
the spring their jewelry Is in soak and their
pockets are empty. Now they are wearing
diamonds and carrying fat rolls The
steamship card sharps have been unusually
successful. Numerous new recruits have
sprung up like mushrooms, and the season
has been so profitable that where two or
three were once considered sufficient for a
steamer this year gangs Of five and six and
even seven are necessary to make thor
ough cleanup.
Impudence Of Sharpers.
During one Off week a Star reporter
counted twenty-five Of these card sharps
of whom less than half were old timers.
The German boats have been the principal
scene of activity and the hauls have been
large. The Oldest games have been worked
without discovery. One retired gambler
told The Star reporter that he saw a gang
spreading, holding out and dealing from
the bottom with such crudity that he felt
candy from children he said Their sue
cess has been SO easy that some gangs
have been outrageously imprudent On
recent steamer just before reaching Ply
room in the presence of their victims One
said: Lets divide up now, to blazes with
these mugs" and divide they did None of
the victims even made squeaI
Rea's Run Of Luck
On the race tracks five distinct gangs
principally Australians and South Africans,
have been picking pockets. and their hauls
have also been tremendous One of the
most prominent victims Vas H. R. Rea, the
Pittsburg steel magnate, who had his pock-
ct picked at Windsor and huge sum
taken. So cieverly was the job done that
Rea never missed his pocketbook until he
returned to the hotel. For a time he
thought he had lost it in cab. One man
who had been a companion of Reas
through Europe said: That is the only
way to get money from Rea, steal it, He
has had the most wonderful luck ever seen.
The first day out from New York luck
came to him in poker game and it was
continued all the way over. He nearly
cleaned everybody out. In Paris no matter
whether. he went against the races or any
other sort of game, he couldn't help win
ming. AT Trouville the very first day he
picked four long-shot winners. His profit
there and at other places increased hts
bank roll by leaps and bounds His luck
has been so great that it is a surprise that
even pickpockets were even abe to take
any money from him."