THE CONFIDENCE TRICK AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 225, 16 June 1908, Page 4

THE CONFIDENCE TRICK AGAIN.

A CLERGYMAN'VICTIMISED. A worthy churchman who passed through Wellington a. few, days ago on a tour of tho' ,world had a' sad'cxperianco on tho day ho' left Sydney for this port._ While travelling by steamer between Adelaide and Melbourne ho mado!,tho acquaintance. of a well-clrcsstu, good-mannered, and intelligent young man, who on hearing that the reverend gentleman. was proceeding to New Zealand showed a lively interest in the country which ho ovidently knew vory well, nnd which ho would probably revisit shortly. The two became quite intimate by' tho timo Melbourno .was 'reached, arid 'parted on tho best of terms.. ;• A few' days- 1 later tho gentleman of the cloth was delighted to meet his friend in Sydnoy, and still more pleased when that friend said that : a brother's illness called him to Iliiwko's Bay, and ho was leaving for. Wellington, that . day. They were on tho ljoat' when .'.ho."asked the clergyman, to accompany him up town as ho had ono or two little matters to attend to. The clergyman acquiesced, and tho two; strolled up to a hotel. ' The friend went insido to settle his bill and get a hand-bag lie had left there. Ho rbturnc-d to tho minister in a few minutes in somo'distress of mind,—ho had left his pocket-book containing his 'money 011 board, and would have to go all the way down to tho boat again to get it. The bill was not a large ono either —only £20 or £30 (this in a'light and airy manner). .The clergyman at onco offered to loan him tho money, for tho hour.': Tho man. demurred, whereupon tho clergyman pressed his offer, when it was reluctantly ..accepted—it was such a 4ong, hot I. walk to the steamer. With the clergyman's money ho vanished' into tho hotel. The good man waited live— ton minutes, and then grasped tho fact that he had been done! So conscious was he of tho foolish part 110 had .ployed that 110 did not even venture into tho hotel to inquire about his "fric-nd." Ho waited about a littlo longer, and then trudged back to tho boat, which he caught 011 sailing point, more certain than ever that "men were deceivers over."