A SHREWD FEMALE SWINDLER.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 285, 22 March 1877, Page 4

A SHREWD FEMALE SWINDLER.

HOW A BOSTON DKTTGOODS ESTABLISHMENT "WAS VICTIMISED. One of the shapest cases of swindling which. has recently occurred in this vicinity took place at one of our prominent dry goods stores, not far from the corner of Winter and Washington streets. A finely-dressed lady appeared in the shawl department of the store in question, and, after examination, selected a camel's hair shawl, costing about 100 dols., for which she tendered in payment a 1000dol. bill, which wa3 carefully scrutinised by the cashier, who, doubting his own power of discrimination, despatched a messenger to the bank to ascertain the genuineness of the bill. Meanwhile the lady customer had become anxious to procure the change, and had approached the locality occupied by the man of scrip when the messenger returned and announced in an audible tone that the cashie? of the bank said that the bill was good. The lady, upon hearing this, waxed exceeding wroth and demanded to know "whether he thong 1 , it that she would attempt to pass a counterfeit bill." Of course apologies.

and explanations were of no avail; and assuming to be highly indignant, she refused to purchase the shawl, demanded her money, and cepr.rtcd from the store the very embodiment of righteous indignation. A. couple ' f hours afterward she returned considerably mollified, and confessed that she was pleased with the shawl, and that her inability to find one which she liked as well was the only rea--8 >ii she returned, and she concluded to take it, which the obliging salesman proceeded to hare prepared, while the courteous cashier, disdaining to entertain a suspicion against such a lady, proceeded to count out the 900 dols. change, with which and her shawl the lady departed. The feelings of that storekeeper can be better imagined than described when he awoke to a realising sense of tiie iact triat i is lady customer had, after all his precaution, succeeded in passing upon him a counterfeit 1000-dol. bill. It appears t sat anticipating just what ''.ad occurred, she had provided herself with a good bill, which played its part in the early stages of the "'game, after which it retired in favor of the counterfeit. — Boston Herald.