"RINGING THE CHANGES."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13724, 14 April 1908, Page 6

"RINGING THE CHANGES."

AN OLD SWINDLE. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN correspondent.] Wellington, Monday. The time-honoured criminal method of earning a dishonest penny, known to the craft and the police as " ringing the changes," or " the Brummagem Bustle," made its appearance at the Magistrate's Court on Friday. The fact that no cases have come, before the Court for a long time does not signify that the changes have not been rung, because the trick is frequently played so cleverly that the victims knownothing about it. The brummagem-bust-lers, according to the police, are generally the lower type of spieler. The swindle, which is invariably worked by two men, is run something on the following lines:— The two operators make their way to a. likely-looking shop, frequently a confectioner's establishment, and one goes inside and asks for sixpenny-worth of cakes. He puts down half a sovereign, and is given 9s 6d change. Suddenly as though he has just discovered the fact, the thief says he has got sixpence, and says to the shopman, "Give me the half-sovereign," at the same time putting down the sixpence. The half-sovereign is placed on the counter alongside the 9s 6d, the rush of events and the attractive small talk of the operator meanwhile engaging the shopman, or shopgirl for preference. The thief then says he has too much silver to carry conveniently, and asks for a £1 note in place of the change on the counter. He pushes his own half-sovereign, the 9s 6d of the shopman, and his own sixpence across the counter, and gets the £1. At this stage, thief No. 2 appears on the scene to draw the shop assistant's mind off the transaction. He is in a great hurry to catch a tram, and hustles the assistant to give him his sixpenny-worth of biscuits or some such small goods immediately. By this time, if the scheme has been worked successfully, as it generally is, No. 1 has got his £1 for 10s 6d, and departs.