THE SAME OLD STORY

Evening Star, Issue 20994, 7 January 1932, Page 9

THE SAME OLD STORY

CONFIDENCE TRICK AGAIN £3,500 MADE IN A DAY. Sauntering into the smoking room of a London hotel, a well-dressed young man chose an expensive cigar, ordered a drink, and settled down in front of the fire to meditate that he had £1 between him and starvation. Barely twenty-four hours later that young man walked out of the hotel with £3,500 in cash in his pocket. This is how it happened (says the ‘ Sunday Express 1 ). Ho had been sitting there a few minutes when his cigar went out. He begged a light from a visitor, a Canadian farmer, who_ explained he had come over to invest his life savings. Later that day the pair met by arrangement. Into the smoke room walked another man, “ fortyis'h.”He was about to sit down when he espied the young man, and was up in an instant with, “ Well, old man, after all these years!” The trio wandered over London together, the story was told of a legacy which one of them had been left by an uncle, “on condition that a portion of it is spent on the deserving poor in Canada.” The farmer, of course, was just the man to distribute the money. It was casually suggested that he should show he was a man of substance. Next day the Canadian produced £3,500. The “ fortyish ” man placed it in a yellow envelope, went out of the room for a moment, and returned with the envelope. The two strangers asked the Canadian to hold his money while they both went away “to telephone.” They strolled out—with £3,500— leaving the Canadian farmer nursing a yellow envelope packed with tissue paper.

Her father entered the drawing room and saw his daughter writing at the desk. “ Are you writing to that sweetheart of yours again, Joan?” he asked. “ Yes, father,” replied the girl. “ But, my dear child, you have been doing that for years. How do you sign your name?” “I always say ‘I remain, ever thine, Joan Brown,’ ”■ returned the daughter wonderingly. “Well, strike out the ‘ ever thine.’ ” suggested the other thoughtfully, “ and underline ‘ Brown.’ It’s time _ that young man was coming to the point.” Councillor P. Brooks, who has been elected mayor of Bethnal Green, London, is a chimney sweep. Councillor Brooks, who will continue his job during his year of office, follows the trade of his father and grandfather,