Clever Confidence Trick.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 5705, 27 April 1911, Page 4

Clever Confidence Trick.

A rather amart confidence trick is reported to be in vogue in some of the larger towns just now which should act as a warning to tradesmen in general to be on the alert in their dealings with strangers with a plausible address. The individual referred to, who was well dressed and gener ally had a taking sort of way with him that betokened much knowledgr of men in good positions, bustled into a stationer’s Bhop, having doubtless timed his visit bo that only a young lady attendant was in charge. In a persuasive manuer he asked for £2 worth of postage stamps, which be said he wished to post in a letter which he produced. When he had placed the stamps in the letter, which he had stamped and addressed, he suddenly recollected thnt he had s cheque for a considerable amount to cash and he must go to the bank at once. " I’ll be back in ten minutes,” he said, 11 and I shall be wonting some books and stationery when I return. Just keep the letter, os I find I have not enough loose silver to pay for the stamps. It was stupid of me not to have got the cheque cashed before, but it entirely slipped my memory ” And with a smile and a raising of his hat he was gone. He never returned, and then with some misgivings the proprietor began to view the transaction. As there was no sign of his reappearance the letter was opened and found to contain some blank pieces of paper. Further inquiry elicited the fact that the stranger had obtained cash for the stamps elsewhere. His appearance had not been particularly noticed, and the stationer admits that his assistant was cleverly “ taken down,” as he probably would have been himself by the same device. The method pursued was the very simple one of having two letters exactly alike in his pocket, and when he had put the postage stamps iu one, after the usual “ blarney,” he handed baok the other.