TRICKSTERS FOILED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21030, 14 November 1931, Page 12

TRICKSTERS FOILED.

NIEW ZEALANDER'S CAUTION. GIVEN UP AS A BAD MARK. [from our own correspondent.] LONDON, Oct. 8. Mr. John F. Willcox, of Christchurch, came in contact with a party of "crooks on a train journey from the docks to the city a few days ago. llieir methods did not deceive him and ho was given up as a bad mark. iSli\ Willcox's description of the incident is interesting as showing the way some people earn their living. "The train stopped at one of the Albert Dock stations," said Mr. Willcox, "and two men made for the door of my compartment. They came to the door simultaneously, which led to a scuffle, ending in the larger man entering my compartment and appearing to bo rather upset, while the other apparently disappeared. The large man, who was shabbily dressed, after hiking his seat, ccmplained about drunken men in an undertone. Just before the train started two more men jumped on, one apparently a clerk and the other an elderly gtocer. "The clerk sat on the other side of the compartment, opposite the shabby man, and the apparent grocer sat opposite to me. The last-mentioned was of the, genial, fatherly sort, and pretended to tieat the big, shabby man who had the scuffle as a great joke. He became over courteous and hid his face and mine, when speaking, with a newspaper. "The shabby man suddenly sat over on the seat opposite me between theclsrk and grocer, and whipped out a piece of green baize and a pack of cards. He began to play an old game, known as 'Follow the Lady,' and asked the grocer if he could guess where the queen was. The grocer laughed, winked at me, and said, 'All right, old chap, but not for money.' Needless to say, the grocer picked tiie right card every time, and ho then leaned over and whispered to me that it was the card with tlio corner bent up. but he reminded me, winking as ho did so, not to say anything about it.

"J now kept my eyes skinned on all tl rce men at once and did not take any notice of tho game. Ihe man who was working the cards would ask which one, and [ informed him that I neither knew nor cared. He then purposely dropped a card on the floor of the carriage and asked me if I would pick it up for liim, but as I did not wish tc> have a cracked skull J declined.

"That little game up, the clerk suddenly pulled out a ten-shilling note and ho bet that it was a certain card. Ife won, but I did not bite, and I got up and told them what I thought of them. As wo were then pulling into the next station, the three of them—clerk, shabby rran, and grocer—got up, dashed out of the train, and were swallowed up in London."