The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-03-25
SCOTLAND yard
WARNS TOURISTS
Americans Especial Prey Of
London ICON" Men.
BEGIN OPERATIONS IN APRIL

Methods by Which Sharpers Rob the
Unwary Explained In Circular Sent
to State Department Through Consul
Generai-Tricks With Variants Not
Unlike Those Employed on This Side.
The United States consul general ut
London has reported to the state de-
partment in Washington that he has
received communication from the
criminal investigation department of
New Scotland Yard saying that in
view of the large number of visitors
from America who have been victim
lied by the confidence trick" in Lon
don. a police warning has been pre-
pared giving the details of the trick as
commonly practiced. The warning is
as follows:
Travellers intending to visit London
are warned against being induced to
part with money by what is known as
the confidence trick The criminals
who get their living By this kind of
fraud select their victims from among
American. Canadian and Australian
visitors because they know that if
they are arrested the victim has book
/ ed his passage and will not stay in
London long enough to prosecute them
and that without a prosecutor the pO-
+ lice must liberate them.
| Trick Has Several Variants.
] There are several variants of the
fraud; the commonest is for a man
! whom we will call A. to approach the
victim and. pretending to take him
/ for Londoner, TO ask him for infor-
nation on some point of historical in
terest. On the victim declaring him
self to be a stranger in London and
mentioning his native town. y. claims
acquaintance rs a fellow townSman
and invites the victim to lunch with
him
AS they are going along the street
they overtake 4 second man. T., who
drops a satchel or an envelope just i'll
front of them The victim picks 1T
up and restores it to the owner, who
/ processes eXtrdvagmt gratitude, say
ing that the envelope contains the
proof ~ the Inheritance OF a large for
tune from the Will of an uncle, Some
times he shows them newspaper cut
ting purporting 10 give the result If a
lawsuit which. he says. has been de-
cided in his favor. +. then invites the
two to lunch with him. and in The
of al IA Il,
made q very eccentric will and that he
Is at his wits end to know how 10
comply with one of the conditions.
which is that he is to distribute $4,000
among the poor of London and like
sum among the poor of the victims
native state.
He is actually looking for two CON
scientious and trustworthy aImonerS
TO do this for him. and be is ready to
pay each of them 5000 for their trou-
ble. After some conversation \. vol
unteers to undertake the distribution
in London. L. appears to he suspi-
ciouS and objects that their acquain-
lance is too slight to warrant him in
reposing such confidence in him. \,
then produces from his pocket bun
1 die Of what appear to bc banknotes
/ aud, 60 show Ills confidence in Il, beGs
i him to take them out of the room.
/ After Il good deal of pressing. r. com
plies, and on his return an agreement
/ is drawn M and Il. hands over To- \.
/ what appears TO be 5000 in notes.
Victim Waits In Vain.
1T Is then the victims turn, Al
Iured by the prospect of winning 1900
Tor nothing, the victim scarcely re
CURES the persuasion of y. To voun
I teer to distribute $1,000 among the
l poor Of his native state. In order &c
establish confidence he is induced to
D 90 with A. 10 his bank and draw ont
\ 800 or ESQ in notes
The comedy is then repeated. onls
this time it has its tragic side e dis
appears with the notes and, after f.:
: long interval. A. goes out to see what
has become Of him. Naturally tn,
Il victim never sees him again, unless
after lodging complaint. he is callef
to identify him at the police station
when, ms has been said. he has to de
| eide whether he will stay to prosecut,
| or put up with his loss.
/ | Incredible as it may seem. tho sun
! ply Of dupes seems to be fncxhausti
| BILE. The tricksters' season begin
/ about April and continues until IN,