A CLEVER FRAUD.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VII, Issue 11, 14 March 1891, Page 9

A CLEVER FRAUD.

The police records of the French capital have just been enriched by another of those clever bits of Parisian roguery that make plain ordinary swindling appear in comparison as inartistic as hod carrying. The Parisian dailies published lately this announcement: — ‘ A splendid wedding will take place here toward the end of the month. M. W. Thompson, a millionaire American broker, will marry Miss Ellen Barber, the only daughter of the highly respected Kev. J. M. Barber of New Zealand.’ About ten days after this notice appeared a man with a white beard and in clerical garments introduced himself at the jewellery shop of Mme. Prevost as Rev. Dr. Barber, and asked that an attendant be sent with a great variety of jewels to his house in Bassano, in order that Mr Thompson, his future son-in-law, might choose fitting wedding gifts for the coming bride. The old man designated some £2,000 worth of jewels as the most likely lot for his future son inlaw’s taste and left. The next morning Mme. Prevost herself took the jewels designated and some £l,OOO worth more to the house in Bassano street. She was led into a splendid reception-room by a maid servant, who took her card to the ‘ pastor.’ She was received in a few minutes by the old man in a salon crowded with evidences of the wealth of the occupants. He said : ■My daughter is too ill to rise. Her fiance is with her, and if you will step in they will make their selection together. ’ The ‘ pastor ’ opened the door to admit the caller to his daughter's bedside, but was stopped by a woman’s voice :

‘ The woman must come to-morrow. lam not able to see strangers to-day.’ ‘ But, my dear child, you can just take a glance or two, so as to tell us what you wish,’ remonstrated the ‘ pastor,’ and then turning to Mme. Prevost: * The poor girl has a terrible headache and objects to seeing strangers. I will just give her a look at the things myself, and then give the order.’ He took the tray with the £3,000 worth of jewels, gave Mme. Prevost an album of views of the Yosemite for her entertainment, and then went to the woman in the next room. He returned to chat with Mme. Prevost, but was called away by the announcement, ‘I have made my choice.’ The pastor remained away five, ten, fifteen minutes. Mme. Prevost became nervous, and knocked at the bedroom door. No answer. She tried it. It was locked. She hurried to the other doors. They, too, were fast. She screamed and pounded until the janitor came to her rescue. The false pastor and daughter and maid servant had gone and have not been seen since. They had taken the rooms the day before and had not even paid the rent.