ROAD BANDITS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 May 1930, Page 6

ROAD BANDITS

ROBBING DRIVERS BY TRICKS.

Confidence men and tricksters who at ono time preyed on railway travellers have now turned their attention to motorists. Commercial travellers are constantly suffering al tho hands of pickpockets who ask for “lifts,” and rob tho drivers while they are travelling in the cars. Although complaints are made to tho police, the victims of the robberies aro usually forced by their ■work to travel into other districts before any action can bo taken. An East Lancashire manufacturer, who spends a great deal of his time travelling between various factories by car, has written to the “Sunday Chronicle, describing how he became tho victim of a clever fraud. He was motoring to Liverpool. While passing through tho suburbs of northern city a man requested him to stop. A request for a “lift” to tho next village was granted, and the stranger seated himself in the car. The men began to discuss their homes, and by deft questions tho stranger discovered tho address of the man with whom he was travelling.

Before leaving the car he “borrowed” two shillings. All thought of the man left tho driver’s head until he reached his home. When his wife saw the car enter tho garden she ran out of the house exclaiming, “It has not taken you long to get here. The car cannot have been damaged badly. I’ve been worried Io death.” Tho man was amazed. Ho said that his car had not been damaged, and his wife said she had received a wire in her husband's name asking her to send £5 to a village post; office. It had, without doubt, been sent by tho man to whom the husband gave tho "lift.” for the wire came from the village where tho man asked to be pul down. i Tho two shillings he borrowed was to pay for the wire! ’ 1