DARING "SWELL MOB" ROBBERY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3935, 29 February 1884, Page 4

DARING "SWELL MOB" ROBBERY.

A London correspondent mentions that a most daring robbery has lately been committed at a fashionable draper's shop at the West End. The thieveß were men, and women of the "swell" type so dangerous to society, and their scheme shows them to be through experts. Two of good appearance, representing themselves tis detectives from Scotland Yard, went into tho shop, and, having obtained an interview with the principal, informed him that thoy wero in search of two clever female robbers, who were obtaining goods from different tradesmen, and tendering in payment forged cheques. They stated that they had private information that the women would that day drive up to the shop in a brougham, order a general parcel of drapery, and tender what would appear to be a cheque bearing a well-known signature, but which would in reality bo a forged document. In order to entrap the thieves tho men suggested that they should bo allowed to stand behind the counter to await their arrival, that a hansom with a fast horse should be kept in readines-i for thorn outside, that tho females should be served with what they wanted, and that the change should bo given for tho document they would tender. The women having thus been ensnared, they themselves would drive after them in tho hansom and arrest them with the goods in their possession. According to a trade paper, tho principal oi*' tho shop believed the story of tho two men, and agreed to tho trap being laid. Tho well-dressed women came, driving up as had been stated in a brougham. 1 hey tendered a " cheque" for £50, got the change in good money, and went away with a valuable parcel of drapery, tho men ♦■from Scotland Yard" in the hansom after them. When neither tho "detectives" nor tho thieves returned, tho shopkeeper began to think ho hud been " done," and he thinks so still, the gang not having since been heard of.