A NEW TRICK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23806, 12 May 1939, Page 10

A NEW TRICK

WOMAN SHOPKEEPER ROBBED CHANGE OF £5 NOTE SLEIGHT-OF-HAND EMPLOYED (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 11. A criminal trick new to New Zealand was introduced to Wellington to-day when a widow, the proprietor of a leading confectionery shop in Courtenay place, was swindled out of £5 by two men. She told the story in her own words shortly after the occurrence. “At 3.10 p.m.,” she said, “a young man of good appearance came into my shop. He appeared to be agitated. He said he would be grateful if I would give him change for a £5 note. I made sure it was a good one and then handed him five £ 1 notes in return. He left as suddenly as he came. “ I’m a Detective ” “ He was gone only a few seconds when another man, well dressed and about six feet in height, came into the shop. I was serving a customer but he interrupted, saying, ‘ Excuse me. I’m Detective Mclvor. Have you just changed a £5 note for a man? ’ I said I had, and he asked to see it. “ I handed it over and he held it up against the light. He then said, ‘Yes. it’s a counterfeit. This is the number he is working on.’ He folded the note lengthwise, placed it in a foolscap Manila envelope and said, ‘ I’ll have to take this with me to the detective office to examine it.’ Suspicion Aroused “ I was a little suspicious and said, ‘ Oh! No. I’ll hold it here until you return with another detective.’ He hesitated then and replied ‘Very well. I’ll leave it here, but you must not open the envelope.’ I took it from him and held it up to the light. There was something inside the shape of a bank note. He then hurried out of the shop. “ I was uneasy and followed almost at once, but he was nowhere in sight. I then called a policeman and with his permission opened the envelope left with me. Inside were two pieces of blank paper folded together to correspond to the size of a bank note. I don’t mind losing the £5 so much, but it was a mean trick and I would like to have the pleasure of identifying the two men who played it.” Familiar Ruse Overseas The envelope was a cheap one of the type used for circulars. The enclosed slips of paper were apparently torn from a pad similar to those to be seen on a hundred office The trick, once change is obtained the impersonation “ put over,” and possession of the envelope obtained, is worked by sleight-of-hand the substitution of an already prepared envelope with a blank enclosure for the envelope containing the bank note. It is a well-known ruse overseas, but so far New Zealand has been free of it. Detectives are investigating.