A NEW ZEALANDER AMONG THE MAGSMEN.

Kumara Times, Issue 1417, 18 April 1881, Page 2

A NEW ZEALANDER AMONG THE MAGSMEN.

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 td the Clarence and Richmond Hotel in Kent street. We had some drink irt the when a stranger entered and : had a curious yarn about a game which ; he wished me to play with hira. 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. We were to play the first five 1 up, and the stranger was to call every time, for which privilege he gave us 1 three out of five. The scores were' taken with ten paper balls, placed in two rows of five each. 1 arid my friend bet heavily, having the odds of two ofif to Start with. We lost £35, then I only bald £$ left—not enough for at heavy bet, so my friend filled the body of a check attd told ra© 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, a'nd lost right off. The' stranger then said hef would get his solicitor to collect it,- arid left. My friend then pretended to 1 be much frightened about the cheojrie; and said we would both get into it. This tfmsfc be a conspiracy to defratfd. I bad now* left in the Bank £ls, belonging toself and a mate of mine, My m"ate; hearing of my loss, drew the £ls, and knocked it down in one night. Wtf have been kindly given free passes by the Government for the train up* country."