CONFIDENCE TRICK

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1931, Page 6

CONFIDENCE TRICK

CHICAGO MAN ROBBED. LONDON. September 18. Another story of confidence tricksters appeared in the “Daily Mail” yesterday. This time it is not a New Zealander who has lost his money-, hut an alleged New Zealander who stole . it. Mr Charles Schonne, a Chicago architect. was the victim of the old, old trjek. Flo was in the National Portrait Gallery when, he said, “a young man, about 27'years old. got into conversation with mo and told me he was a Now Zealander. He gave the name of Wilson, and we went around together. The next day we were on our wav to an omnibus station in Victoria when a man stumbled into Wilson. He was an Irishman, about 65 years old“We had a drink together, and then the Irishman told us a story about having inherited a fortune and wanting two other men to help him to distribute it. I feel sure he had some strange influence over me, foruny own personality seemed to leave me, and I believed everything he instructed. “Tlie Irishman said that before he could make us partners in his scheme lie must have evidence of our faith in him. Wilson immediately produced about £506, and gave it to him. I said T had £4OO, lnif only in letters of credit. Thereupon Wilson said lie would come to the hank and help me change it into notes. T put the notes in- my wallet, and when we returned T handed the wallet over, and the two i others walked out,. . . That’s all.”

Air Schonne, who said ho “felt sure he was hypnotised,” declared that while he was at Scotland Yard, reporting his loss, the tricksters sent v> his hotel his travel tickets and other papers that were in the stolen wallet.