A Clever Trick.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 365, 8 June 1881, Page 3

A Clever Trick.

One of the few things in which most Frenchmen are agreed in alloying to foreigners, more especially to Englishmen, a degree, of excellence superior to their pwn, is the science of picking pockets and street swindling. The following incident of Parisian life will tend to show that the ingenuity of French thieves leaves little to be desired. Recently, whilst a peasant was carrying a sack down the Rue Lecbiirte, he suddenly slipped and fell through a large pane of glass in front of a haberdasher’s shop. The master of the shop came out and desired very naturally to ne reimbursed for the damage. Jacques Bonhomme refused to pay, saying that it was utterly beyond his means to do so. Analtercation ensued, during which a numerous crowd collected around the disputants. '■■■■ After a short parley a welldrassed man approached the shopman and assured-him that the peasant could well afford* to pay, as - he himself knew him, and-knew him to be possessed of some means. Before this assertion and the growing indignation of the witnesses, the eavdisant rustie was compelled to pull out bis pune,-and to >the astonishment of the bystanders produced a thousand - franc bank-note. ’ He gave it to the Shopman, wfab tendered'him the change out of this and went his way apparently tn of humours. The next day tiMMahopman, desiring some cash, sent to change' the note. Great was his dismay tididga- that the note was forged. The jfaisabt said - the well-dressed man were two- professional thieved whose adeptness in'realiSm had-secured for them a good harvest; >v'' r - -