TRAPPING SMART CRIMINALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23115, 13 August 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

TRAPPING SMART CRIMINALS

London's Confidence Men By J.M.C. Ct/-riHE aristocrat of all crooks." I That is the way ex-Detec-live-Inspector Percy J. Smith, of New Scotland Yard, describes one of the cleverest, most plausible and resourceful of the world's criminals —the confidence trickster. In "Con Man" lie tells some amazing stories of these gentlemen with the charming manners and subtly persuasive tongues, who make capital from the greed and credulity of wealthy victims. Inspector Smith gained the material for his exciting book, which is an outstanding contribution to the literature of crime detection, during his 26 years as a police officer. His specialised experience of criminals and their i\ajs enabled him to compile an official "Who's Who" of the "Con Men." From this black list, which is in tho criminal records department of every police forco in the world, ho is able to describe tho methods of some of tho many hundreds ol confidence tricksters he knows personally and to tell how big business men have lost such incredible | i sums as £150,000 by means of the "pay j off," the "hot seat," and tho "tale." j Proud of "Profession" "Con Man" is an unusual book for j it deals with types of criminals whose j habits are not too well known by the general public —men of intelligence and fascination, proud of their "profession" and sometimes humorous in their methods. Inspector Smith lias some interesting remarks to make about the gentlemen whose habits lie has studied so closely and their unlucky victims. Here is the loophole in the "con man's" armour. "Boasting is tho confidence trickster s greatest weakness. It is the vulnerable spot in his armour for a confidence operator love's nothing than to tell the story of how he did bo-and-bo for £50,000, how he 'put him in and 'trimmed' him." . The reason why confidence men llock to London: "In London there are variety and vastness, wealth, a floating population of colonial and foreign visitors, and a social atmosphere which cannot bo found elsewhere in all tho world of crime." Of the victims Inspector Smith says: "Tho victim, of course, is usually too ashamed of his credulous part m the sorry transaction to be persuaded to expose the tricksters. Even the charitable prospect of saving others from a similar fate will not always induce the 'trimmed mug' to prosecute. He is more concerned about the money that is gone for ever —and about the fortune that lie thought he was going to make so easily but didn't." , "Mentally Intoxicated The ordinary hard-working citizen probablv wonders why sane, hardheaded 'business men part with gigantic sums of money to glib sharks from tho underworld. Inspector Smith supplies the reason: "One must remember that they have been morally and mentally intoxicated by the splendid acting of the confidence men, by the luxury, the lavish entertaining, and the careless squandering of wealth for their pleasU "Con Man" is filled with fascinating accounts of confidence trickery, and Inspector Smith proves that even New Zealaiulers have not been immune from trouble. He tolls the pathetic story of a New Zea lander who lost tho whole or his life-savings except for £l5O through investing them in some transactions on a mythical "United Turf Exchange." "Con Man," by cx-Detcctivc-Inspcctor Percy J. Smith. (Herbert Jenkins. Limited.)