SWINDLERS OUTWITTED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1593, 25 June 1887, Page 3

SWINDLERS OUTWITTED.

The following account of how two JJdndon swindlers* word outwitted •by the natives c£ Wiltshire County is taken from the Licensed Victuallers' "Gazette" :-^- --"Your professional Bwindlera do not always get the boat of it when they throw out a sprat to catch a gudgeon, for sometimes the gudgeon swallows the bait and slips tha hook. Somo members of the Long Firm having found London too warm for them, thought thoy would ruetioate for awhile, and being tremendous toffs, flashing jewellery, and looking like money all over, made euro of reaping a splendid harvest among the Johnny Raws, The firßt place at which they pitched was tho quiet city of Salisbury, whoro they put up at the first hotel, and scraped acquaintance m the b ; 'liard room with young Squire Harrison. Thinking they had caught a flat, thoy invited him to dine with them, and during tha meal the, equiro gave thorn an invitation to eat their muttoa with him next day at tho hall. After dinnor the sharps proposed catde, and making euro of their revenge on tho morrow, allowed him to win thirty pounds.' The next day, at tho appointed hour, thoy presented themselves at the hall, wcro very cordially received and very hospitably entertained. After tho cloth had boon removed and tho bottle had begun to circulate, one- of tho guests proponed a cut mat tho pasteboard • Very sorry, gentlemen,' replied tho host, 'but I have not a pack of cards or a dice box m the house, and, what is more, I have made a solemn vow that no kind of gaming shall ever take place within these doorp.' Thoroupon the otheia expressed their opinion that it was a d— d uugentlomanly thing not to give them a chanco of winning baok their money. • Wot at all, 1 roplied tho Squire coolly.; ■« it was, a fair match of wits'; having had the pleasure of mooting you gentlemen m London, and pretty well guessing your errand heie, 1 threw out tho bait of an invitation, which you responded to by lotting mo win thirty pounds on tho chance of doubling or trebling that sum at my oxpenso to-night. ; Tho littlo speculation has failed, Upon which ho rang the boll, and requested the servant to enow ' tho gontlqmon ' out. After that these chevaliers -d'indußtrie thought it bettor to quit tho cathodral precincts and mado for Murlborough, where racing was going on. There they follm with a knot of young follows who, though rather green, wore shy of strangors. On tho ground, howovor, they mot the landlord of tho hotel at which thoy put up, who, seeming rather a fly sort of oustomer, they proposed that they and the rlctlma oho aid adjourn to h!a house. | This was agreed to. One of tho sharpens, calling Boniface »fllde, asked him to join I them m a game of cards, at the same time tipping a wink, and saying, ' We'll take care yon, win. You understand !' ' Oh, perfectly/ replied mine host, with another wink, Under the Inflaenoo of sundry potations the youngsters were drawn Into a game of Nap and cleaned oat, the sharks, for ft blind, losing. at much as they did, and the landlord taking tho lot. When the pigoons had gone our friends suggested 'a settling up.' Boniface pretended he did/not understand what they meant. 1 Why didn't we tell you you were to win?" said they. ' Well, and I have won, and, what is more, I moan to keep, what I have I won' replied Bbnlfaoe, with a chuokle. ( Oh, we'll see about that,' said one of the sharpers, pugnaciously. 'And if you don't start out of thU at onoe you'll ''see the (nalde of a gaol for a couple of swindlers,' answered the landlord. 'Now out you go or I'll call m the constable and give you m charge.' After that the two confederates returned to London to seek for those. Verdant Greens they could not dlioover m buoolio regions."