An Ingenious Fraud.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5462, 30 April 1889, Page 4

An Ingenious Fraud.

An ingenious gold-duat fraud has been brought to light' in Russia. It is somewhat sircilar to the plec'ric sugar swindle which caused such a stir in commprcial circles both here and in America a few wenks ag . No doubt many persons m v iri"us count ries where the jjold dust has been adver tisfd have already been victimised. It seema, writes the Vienna crraapi'tiden' of the 'S'andard,' that it is forbidden by the Russian criminal c>de to buy or aeli gold, whether in nuggeßfc > or dust, since the Russian Government itself procnva h from the Siberian mines, and sells it direct to the gold woikera. If is also forbidden to export gold fr>m Russia, except ander a special license This law lias been made the basis of a swindle, carried out by a number of persons in a s- apo t of Northern Russia, who wr te to well to do people in other countries, offering what they called an excellent bargain. Theii customers could foi ward certain sums on receipt of quantities of gold du9t which the agents of the company would deliver at specific frontier stations, and smuggle over the border aa passengers' luggage. The price charged would be haf the market value of the gold. Those who could not travel themselves to the frontier stations might send iheir servants or confidential agents, and the process ould be repeated as often as they liked. It is surprising to learn that even Vienna aristocrats fell into the trap. One noblemin consented to enter into transactions to the value of 50,000 roubles. He was first shown a small quantity of g<>]d dust, which, after being melted, was declared by an expert to be pure gold. H • then received a larger quantity at the froutiui in return for 15,000 roubles. The consignment proved to t.e brass dust. He wrote, protesting and threatening exposure, and received inanswer a numbenf letters tothe effect that, a 9 the Russian law forbade the traffic in gold, he could noi tako proceedings in Russia His correspondents even quoted a derision of a Russian Cour of law in a similar case, and invited their dupe to recoup himself by entering into the business as a partner, and inducing o her people to buy Russian gold dust The case having been made public, i' turns out that m*ny more persons in Vienna hive been victimised without hope of redress.

The payment of an insurance policy of 60000dol i>n»he ife of aieamster,Has{gei ty, who was ao thoroughly blown away by the explosion of a waggon load of nitr. glycarine which he waa driving near Pleaaantville, Pa., that not more than a pound of his body was foond, is being disputed by the companies interested, <>n ibe gr>uinl that such mier annihilation was impossible, even with so powerful an explosive. They c aim tho the 'remains' found are no proof that Haggerty is d>-»d Another experiment ia being niado, this time in Patdburg, to u'iliaest.el for strert paving. Steel snips are rolled 2£in wide by liv thick, with a channel on ■ lie top side, and wth notches Bin apart. These Btiips, which weigh 111 b. per yaid, ate laid Sin betw en centres, each one only extending to the centre of the strent, to give the proper slope to tho toadw y. Adjacent strips are bolted toge her and fas'ened to wooden sills. A bed of gravel supports the pavement, and between the strips a mixture of pitch and cement is poured, rendering the surface comparatively smooth. A cab-driver named Hedges, who was buried on Sunday afternoon at Bow Oem • tery, was on Monday last in Piccadilly, when he was ordered to move en by a police-constable, who, finding he took no notice, mounted the cab, and thinking the deceased was unwell, took him to the hospital, ;vhere it was discovered that he was dead. At the funeral on Sunday no fewer thanseventy cabs, with Lord Shrewsbury's permission, followed the open car containing the coffin, and beside cabs Lord Shrewsbury also sent a large wreath. The deceased leaves a wife and family of three.