TRICK THAT FAILED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 255, 9 August 1937, Page 6

TRICK THAT FAILED

AMERICAN CONFIDENCE MEN. • AUSTRALIANS NOT TRAPPED. LONDON, July 25. Two travellers from Sydney and a Melbourne family scored over a gang of “hospitable” American confidence men. Lavishly entertaining their intended victims, the gang spent more than £2OO in an unsuccessful attempt to win £IO,OOO. Travelling to England by way of America, the Melbourne family, Mr G. J. ' Johnston and his wife and daughter, Jana, were befriended by a gentleman who joined tho Mariposa at Honolulu, and invited them to visit him at Los Angeles. There he placed bis luxurious car and a chauffeur at their disposal. The host was then called away on business and gave a friend named Smith 100 dollars to continue the entertainment. Smith, “by chance,” saw a third party named Brown in a cabaret and Brown admitted that lie was interested in a betting syndicate. He produced 1000 dollars, and stating that he wished to preserve anonymity, he asked the Johnstons and Smith to put it on a horse through a betting exchange, promising them 25 per cent of the winnings in return for the favour. The horse won at a profit of 2000 dollars. Brown then wrote a credit note for 100,000 dollars, and Smith and Johnston agreed to add their share so far theoretical share of the profit to a bet on another horse, which also won, the idea being that they would again be entitled to 25 per cent of the profits. A hitch occurred when the betting exchange refused to pay the 100,000 dollars unless it were satisfied that the winners would have been able to pay 100,000 dollars if they had lost. Brown and Smith produced 25,000 dollars and the stage was set for Mr Johnston to offer tho same amount; but, becoming suspicious, he remarked, “My wife is the gambler of our family. The most I have ever risked on a horse was five shillings on a Melbourne Cup.” Smith and Brown speedily vanished. When the Johnstons reached London, the Sydney people, who were also passengers on the Mariposa, telephoned Mr Johnston and exchanged news. It appears that the Sydney travellers were feted in Los Angeles by the same gang and were so impressed by the plausible happenings of a chance to make easy money that they telephoned a brother in Sydney, who, unwillingly, cabled £SOOO. On the brother’s advice, the travellers inquired at San Francisco and learned that no such betting exchange existed.