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Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 34

The latest in confidence tricksters is a man who deals in fountain pens, lhe other night a Blenheim business man was accosted by this man, who claimed to be a commercial traveller (states the Marlborough Express). He said that he had lost his ready cash in a card game, and he asked for the loan of 6s until next day. As security, he produced an attractive-looking fountain pen, which, he said, was one of his samples. The business man was suspicious, but generous, and finally handed over the 6s and took the fountain pen as security. As he had more or less anticipated, the borrower did not return to redeem the. pen, which would not work, and so was taken to an expert for repairs. The expert laughed when lie saw it. He said several other people had been taken down by the same trickster, and that the pen was valueless. Despite its handsome appearance, it was worth about 2s retail, and was probably bought by the confidence man for about lOd.