COLONEL TRICKED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21817, 21 November 1940, Page 2

COLONEL TRICKED

EXPENSIVE SEQUEL TO PARTY The wartime adventuress is as devoid of pity as she is of scruple, immoral and cruel, writes Charles Kingston in "Answers,” London. It doesn’t matter to her that a criminal exploitation of the new order of things created by the war may result in ruin and even death for her victims. And she is seldom an originator, principally because she has not the brains. It is a mistake to suppose that only the young and unsophisticated succumb to her wiles. One of the most profitable swindles practised during the last war has been worked successfully this year, and the “mug” was a lieutenantcolonel well advanced into the fifties. At an unconventional cocktail party he met a charming woman who invited him to her flat "to meet a few friends.” He accepted, was well wined and dined, and willingly took a hand in a game of cards. All went well until the early hours of the morning, when he was accused of cheating, and an assault on his accuser merely made matters worse. The police were telephoned for; and while awaiting their arrival the hostess tearfully pointed out that, when the charge of assault came to be heard in a public Court, the reason for it would have to be mentioned. That brought the old soldier to his senses. The charge of cheating was obviously false, but would the public and his friends and acquaintances believe it? Eventually, to avoid a scandal that might have ruined him, he paid £5OO to hush the matter up. Ten per cent, of this went to the adventuress’ cousin who had been engaged for the part he had played, and most of the balance was profit. The bogus night club has been exposed to often that it is astonishing that it should attract any customers; yet it does. Given one or more pretty girls, several light-hearted men out for a good time and imbued with the notion that it is something wonderful to be drinking outside licensing hours, and there you are. Some of the girls have an uncanny aptitude for summing up the financial possibilities of their victims, whatever their army rank. How they do it is their own secret.