WHAT IS A "MUG"?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHAT IS A "MUG"?

DEFINITION FROM BENCH r A MAGISTRATE PREFERENCE '"PATIENTS" FOR TRICKSTERS A£ the Police Court in Clerkenwell, London, Albert Markwell, aged 40, and Philip Smith, aged 138, were charged on remand with being suspected persons loitering at the Metropolitan Cattle Market, Islington, for tho purpost of practising a confidence trick. Scotland Yard officers said their observations began when the prisoners were overheard in a restaurant talking about "mugs" and Caledonian Market. Markwell, in the witness-box, said a "inug" was no use to a confidence trickster, because he never had enough money. The Magistrate (Mr. B. Campion, K.C.). —There are two classes of people who have money; those from whom it is difficult to get it and those from whom it is easy to get it. If I was a confidence trickster 1 should want the fellow, who parted easily with it and 1 should call that man a "mug." Replying to Mr. Campion, Markwell said the "technical" term for a confidence trickster's victim was "subject" or "patient." Asked why he acted as though he was dumb after his arrest, the defendant Smith said that ai'ter a previous experience with detectives he decided never again to answer police questions and to speak only before a magistrate. Both defendants were found guilty. rourteen previous convictions for various offences were reported against Markwell, who was stated to have been expelled from Belgium and France. Smith had served a six weeks' sentence for loitering for the purpose of committing a confidence trick, and he had been fined for an assault on the police. The Magistrate sentenced both men to six weeks' imprisonment. They said jthey would appeal.