Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1918-08-01
American and Canadian Officers
Visiting London Also FIeeced
by Sharpers.
GIRLS ARE USED As DECOYs
International coterle Using Private
Houses for Games Operates un.
dlsturbed-Traoedy Of an AvIa-
tore Wife-Women Worse
Than Men.

IctireHeut III one OI tnOSe une, up
standing old JacObean manor houses,
not fifty miles from London; n model
country squire, popular with his ten
ants, a thoroughgoing sportsman, who
rides to hounds most religlously and
entertains on the most lavish scale.
He can afford it. His annual income
Is somewhere In the 100000 line. Yet
before the war this particular man
hadn't penny to his name.
The secret Of his extraordinary sue
cess lay In quiet, sumptuOusly fur
nished back rooms In quiet. common
place houses In those somber streets
that nestle In and around Mayfair.
Chemin de fer, poker, faro, sometimes
a roulette wheel, and the gilded ldlers
Of old British aristocracy would be
swarmlng round like moths about
a candle. They seem to have an
intuitive sense for such places,
these folk. Where the average
man would pass by without COM
ment, they nudge ones elbow and
whisper. That's old sO-and-so's place,
II ever you feel inclined for a quiet
fiutter"-that notorious quiet tiutter"
signifying anything from five-pound
note to $500 or so.
Among this select cOterie are men
md women OF doubtful nationality.
who make best use Of their business
for extracting information OF their
more highly connected clientele. This
was proved In the case Of recent
raid, where the woman proprietor was
discovered to be an agent In German
pay. Thus they attain double OBJ
ject.
Women Worse Than the Men.
But there Is also another class who
frequent these places. Manufacturers
from provincial munitlon districts,
flushed with their new and easily won
fortunes. and wishing to be In the So
cial swim, run blindly into these we'll
baited traps. Perhaps their unpleas-
ant experience gives them wisdom.
They never repeat the performance.
They belong to that eternal type which
thinks II can beat the thief at his own
game. They are gamblers for the same
reason that drugtakers and dipsomani-
acs are what they are. They can't
help II.
The women are worse even than the
men. At least 90 per cent more Of the
other sex favor the green table. They
take their gambling seriously-dead
seriously. To them, Is nothing Of the
sporting element OF the affair; It IL
cutthroat business Of pay and receive
Once woman is seized with the
gambling "bug" nothing on earth car
hold her. II is the first step Of the
many great tragedies Of life.
Tragedy Of an Aviator's Wife.
Perhaps one OF the most tragic in
stances Of this nature was that Of tn,
wife OF a commander In the British fly
ing corps. Prior to the war he was Q
member OF the stock exchange ant
they lived in quiet village 30 mile;
from London. When he Joined the col
ors they sold their home and the wife
went to live In town--in tiny fiat II
Knightsbrldge. She was little NOR,
than child. and charmingly unso
phisticated one at that. so fell cas-!
victim to the gamblers wlles.
They got hold Of her through tn,
maltre d'hotel Of the restaurant sh,
freQuented-even the smnrtest maitre.
d'hotel and head walters are some
times. though unwittingly, the instru
ments Of the confederates, who go Il
the restaurants as part Of their dali!
business to get at the lonely men ant
women with money who are to DO dis
covered In every London hotel. On,
day n charming woman Of distinguished
appearance strolled over TO her tabl,
with a polite request TO share II will
her. Consent was readily given, an,
they got into conversation.
The welcome stranger sympathlze,
with her loneliness. and finished by In
wiling her to a dainty maisonette Of
Park lane. After dinner cards wer,
produced. And the fleeing had begun
BY the time her husband was able I,
get home on leave and rescue her IN,
unhappy woman had been robbed o
the best part OF $4,000.
Organized Like q Company.
That Is only one OF the brillian
methods employed. This internatlona
Eang-its agents cover every city IN,
large town In the world-evcn In tn
enemy countrles-is organized like {
company, on profit.sharing basis
There are trusted agents ut every port
fashion center and high.class healtl
resort. II Il the business OF thes
agents to live In prlncely style, grad
ually worming their way into the con
fdence OF the notnbles OF the locality
giving full detailed reports OF thel
movements aud business transaction
to a general headquarters.
When moneycd man or womal
sets out from one country TO anothe
the agent ut the port Of embarkatlo
wires full particulars OF his--or her
business, available capital and Intend
ed period OF visit to his confederat
ut the other end. The victim II shat
owed and approached oil the trnir
aboard the ship. even In hotels. Thel
organization Is the acme Of thorough