ONE A MINUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1924, Page 9

ONE A MINUTE.

IDNDON VISITORS LOSE THEIR CASH. “FORTUNE” STORY London. Sept. 10. its an open season for easy money in London just now. Even the most crude of confidence men are having not the slightest difficulty in getting away with the oldest tricks. Listen what happened to Steven Howard, an Australian staying in Bloomsbury|. lie fraternised. with two well-dressed strangers in the Strand. They entertained him. Then, of course, there was the third man. A rosary was the proof of respectability—dropped by the third man, it was picked up by Howard and returned. The newcomer showed Howard what was supposed to be a dipping from a newspaper “stop press” column stating that the stranger had received a fortune for distribution among the poor.

Next item on the programme was the handing over by Howard of £9OO in notes, a diamond ring, and a gold waltch and chain. It was then that the inevitable fade out of the trio occurred.

James, Saunders, a holidaymaker from India, had exactly the same story put up to him. A stranger who said he came from New Zealand befriended him. Then a passer-by, one James McMahon, dropped a glove, and the stranger returned it to him. McMahon is then said to have produced a colonial paper showing that he had inherited £ 120.000 from an Australian uncle. Of this. £40.000 was to be distributed among, the poor and the Pope was to get £20.000. It worked. Saunders eventually handed over £2OO and a letter of credit. The latter was later returned to him by post. .McMahon was caught by the police, and has been committed for trial on a charge of conspiracy.