CONFIDENCE MEN

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1933, Page 7

CONFIDENCE MEN

“BUSINESS” SHOWS A DECLINE,. LONDON, November 9. The golden harvest from confidence I tricks, which detectives of the “special j branch” of Scotland Yard estimate at nearly £6(10',000 during the past live years, lias .suffered a serious decline. The members of four gangs, well- . known to the London police, are being j strictly watched by order of Lord Ti'en- j chard, the Commissioner of Police. They recently were due to leave London for I the fashionable resorts and spas of the Continent, where they were expected to try to recoup themselves alter a disastrous summer in Britain. I j As .soon as the members of the gang j i pack up the Continental police were to i be informed by Scotland Yard of their | probable destination and careful watch | was to be kept for them on the Continent. A detective on the staff of one of the large AVest End hotels, whose business it is to protect gullable Americans and Colonial visitors from the attention of “conmen,” stated recently that 1933 would go down in the annals of tbe “profession” as one of the blackest years on record. “One of the cleverest thieves in the j game,” the detective said, “complained I bitterly .'’that- the business has been ! ruined this year through the large j number of “outsiders” who have been | trying to “niu.scle-m” .on confidence trickery, The amateurs have consisted of large numbers of professional eardftharpers who have been driven off the Atlantic liners.”