AN INNOCENT NEW ZEALANDER IN SYDNEY.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2224, 13 April 1881, Page 3

AN INNOCENT NEW ZEALANDER IN SYDNEY.

A young man, a native of New Zealand, arrived in Sydney recently on his way to the Mount Poole rush, and one night got into magsmen’s company, who quickly fleeced him of £4O. He sent the “ Sydney Evening News ” the following account of the robbery : —“ On Wednesday morning a well-dressed man met me at the corner of York and Barrack streets, and walked with me to the Clarence and Richmond Hotel in Kent street. We had some drink in the parlour, when a stranger entered and had a curious yarn about a game which he wished me to play with him. The game was this — My friend whom I met in York and Barrack streets was to put a shilling under a tumbler, and the stranger was to cry to it, head or tail. Wo were to play tho first five up, and the stranger was to call every time, for which privilege ho gave us three out of five. The scores wore taken with ten paper balls placed in two rows of five each. I and my friend bet heavily, having the odds of two off to start with. Wo lost £35, then I only had £5 left —not enough for a heavy bet, so my friend filled the body of a cheque and told me to put my name to it that I might stake it as money. I put a fictitious name to it, and staked it with my £5, and lost right off. The stranger then said ho would get his solicitor to collect it, and left. My friend then pretended to bo much frightened about tho cheque, and said we should both get into it. This must be a conspiracy to defraud. I had now left in tho Bank £ls, belonging to self and a mate of mine. My mate, hearing of my loss, drew tho £ls, and knocked it down in one night. Wo have been kindly given free passes by tho Government for the train up country.”