SWINDLING SCHEMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14984, 4 May 1912, Page 5 (Supplement)

SWINDLING SCHEMES.

r ' 'J^' 1 { : j v . .>•- J, - ' r -\' - A LOST KEY EXCHANGE." " -To incurable optimists the -fact that the head of the French detective bureau .could reveal to the , newspapers about half-a-dozen swindling schemes „ which . originated in : the fertile brains of French Arsene Lupins :in the course of • the year 1911 may .be considered an encouraging sign of : progress. ' It might tend .to . show that a little ingenuity is becoming necessary nowadays in order to make - fools part with their cash. 1< . . : .

The French detective expressed to .the reporters a hope that the publicity given to ; these • clever schemes would > spoil them for- further . use. -It may ■ be, 'however, that ;it * will - only induce more commonplace arid less imaginative Arsene Lupins to add them 'to .their repertoire. • '■ Original and plausible. was \ the forged bank-note ; scheme, The : following letter was' sent' lei old people having savings »In bank, to cashiers able to dispose for a few' hours or - a lew days of : important" sums in ' cash; and to 1 others whoso confidence -could be ■ easily won:— . : "My dear sir,-—Being an, experienced engraver, I am in a position to duplicate so - perfectly the notes ,of the Bank of France that tho "most, painstaking examination under the microscope would fail' to reveal the :, difference between the genuihe'bills and those 'issuing "from my press. I could not very well put them into circulation myself without .awakening suspicion. ' I have ' decided,' therefore, to offer ! a few- of them, for sale, 'to 'a selected list of discreet persons, at' a discount- of 50 • per - cent, from- ' their .face value. • ; • ■; )■ • ,

"To ■, enable ; you to. realise. the , degree of -perfection J of which my duplicating process is capable, I .am enclosing you a sample -bill of the value of fifty francs." No,name, no. address was given.,' 1 The gudgeon' to 'whom this anonymous communication was addressed. presented the supposed forged< bill at the -cashier's window of his bank. *

" This bill looks funny to me; do you suppose it's all- right?" he asks.* - ,' And the most experienced bank cashier would, after examining the bill carefully, crumpling, the paper between'his fingers, arid testing the fibre, answer, invariably: • Why, this is as good as gold." To a department store or "to/a butcher shop, ' the* gudgeon repaired, just to try, and addressed to the cashier the' stereotyped question: .. .: ■ ' This. bill looks queer to me; do you think 'it's all right?" To which , the cashier ' would give the ever surprising' answer: "It is as good as.gold;" A fortnight or a month later another letter:—. . ' .

"My dear sir, You must be " satisfied by this time that 'our imitations of " the Bank of France : bills can be 'presented anywhere' without; fear of detection. In ' order to - convince you - that riot only our 50-franc' bills < but our . bills of larger de- ; nominations can pass muster at any bank, we* are enclosing you. one 100-franc bill. • Again, no name, ;no address. - '- : To several banks arid stores the easy mark made' a second pilgrimage, always expecting io have',, some grey-haired expert throw the bill back at him with an uncomplimentary " , reflection upon, the forger's ability.: Hie 100-franc bill was accepted in payment and heard'of : again. A month ..later, a third letter:— ' "My dear sir,We hope that after the proofs of confidence and honesty we have given you, you • will be'willing to enter into commercial relations with us upon the terms specified in. our first communication. We do not make any charge for the samples we submitted to your ■ approval, and whose numbers we have kept, in order 1 to protect ourselves against any possible interference of r the police.. We will expect you, however, to mail to A, 134, General Delivery, a sum >in cash to suit your .convenience, in return for which we will 1 mail you, within '24.' hours, the double : amount in our own bank - bills." The mark did it and never -peeped. One. of the easy marks, ■"unfortunately, .was a bank cashier., He "borrowed" £10.000 for 24 hours. When he failed to receive the expected £20,0iM. the police took him in charge, arid the whole secret leaked out. As may have been guessed, the " forged " sample bills used as ' bait were perfectly genuine.

Key Exchange. • ; ' • /'T . Last the ; of, !a,n.ijjij Etitution whose 'services had convenience : >at;^ exchange, r i,-j --r "a. ji—; ife > ./A. .band of -.- geniuses « had - been for several years * > inserting : in • many f papers of Paris and the provinces advertisements which .to all . appearances. bore , the ear.marks of business honesty. -* . f v. For the modest fee of one franc a year you were insured against the loss of your keys. - The ?agency preserved -wax prints .of , .all your keys, and was ready to supply you with. duplicates of them within -a - remarkably short time. And-; all that for one franc a year. - _ - As a . simple, straight business proposition it proved very profitable, as an' examination of the firm's books: showed a subscription list of over 100,000.scattered all over\the-land. It was, .in i fact, the very, success 1 of-the enterprise-which kept the gang back ;of '' it. free from all suspicion. , If in the course of a year two or three hundred out of the 100,000 subscribers, and those few hundred located in different cities, towns, and villages, liarl tii^ir homos entered by clever thieves who never • broke-- any - door' or window'• and never «damaged the furniture by the l ungentlemanly ; use of jimmy or chisel, why should anyone; have suspected tpe ; exchange having anything to do with it? Once '»• careless burglar had to beat a hasty 'retreat, leaving in a dresser; lock the key with' which' ho had 'just opened it* That piece of evidence when compared- with a duplicate key i the exchange had supplied to the subscriber after lie had mislaid , his • key ring showed a strange likeness to 1 it in the quality of metal used and in the workmanship. Armed with this ; valuable" clue the •French Sherlock Holmes? abandoned his wild goc6e ch&se for; evidence against unfaithful servants. and watchmen. The exchange Was watched very closely, with excellent- results. The subscribers havo all. had new-locks put on: their -doors since, then.' • '■

A fast : automobile was a handy ; accessory in the case of a jeweller's clerk who spent several . anxious hou:s in a padded cell. . >'i 1 An ' elderly lady called several times at a jeweller's to examine diamond necklaces. Twice she - left the jeweller's shop without •; making . any decision as to the diamond ornament, b>t the . bought several -trinkets for which; she paid cash, allowing t(hd salesman to notice that her purse , contained very .law' bills.' • . Before paying the i! Jri call ,on the jeweller , she made an , appointment with Dr. A., a• well-known ' alienist and' director of ,a private sanatorium. - ; 1 Her son, she said, with a very sad expression on- her ; face, was suffering from a mental ,delusion, . and-.became violent whenever anyone doubted his insane statements. He 'thought himself, pursued by ' people who were trying to take away from him a diamond necklace. v Would the doctor examine her son this afternoon, keeping within call -one or two strong nurses in case of an emergency? .A time was set for . the examination of the poor young-man, and the lady ordered--.her chauffeur to drive .to the jeweller's. Then she revealed, her alleged' identity. • "I am Mrs. A., -Dr. / A.'s wife," she iiaid, " and before deciding whether I am to purchase the diamond necklace for my daughter I wish to have the doctor's approval. Can you send one of your salesmen 'to show the diamonds to my husband? I could take him along now in the car."

car. \ t ■■ ■ -- One of . the - salesmen was instructed to accompany the lady., N • ; • After entering the' doctor's waitingroom' the lady : simply asked the salesman to take a chair and to let- her; have the diamonds. . She " knocked -at the door of the doctor's office and was admitted. A few minutes later she invited the salesman to step into the office and to make arrangements with the doctor about the settlement of "the bill, v • She then slipped out of the house and drove off as fast as the automobile could take > her., without courting ' arrest for violation .of the speed laws. - ' In the meantime the salesman, first puzzled, then indignant,- finally aroused to actual violence, was overpowered, put in a straight-jacket, given a strong dose of opiate, and locked up ; in a padded : cell. • This ' romantic story would ; be' made more - thrilling yet if it -could'' be' added that the ; unfortunate salesman was still. pining away in that cell. Unfortunately or fortunately; his employers ! delivered him a few hours afterward; ' ••••••"V: