Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 1 October 1896, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

Paris, August 13ih, 1896. The latest story of a first-class swindle is only two days old, and is worthy of the tales of the famous Qaboriau in his beet days. M. le Comte and Mm?. la Countesse de Grnlof boughs a very fine villa in the suburbs of Paii.«. They agreed to pay 250,000fr for it and ordered in the moat superb furniture and decorations from all the best shops in the capital. Only one man had the wit to take any precautions, and this man, hearing M. le Comte state that previous to his removal to his new hou*e he had been staying at the Hotel C>ntimn tal went to the hotel to verify the statement. No such parsons were known there or hud over stayed there, and the man went to the proprietor of the new house. Mine, do Gralof, however was equal to the occassion when challenged about this by the owner of the villa. "Do you suppose," she asked scornfully, •• that wa give the name of Grulof when we arrive at an hotel ?" People of rank travel incognito. The pro-

prietor professing satisfaction, went to the police, who promptly went down to the villa and found its late tenants flown, having taken' the portable portion cf their veceot purchases with them and left the rest •behind. The police were soon on their track, and they were at last traced to the neighbourhood of the Champs de Mars and seen to enter an hotel, and the Comte and Comtesse Grulof's room was flufroundedj while one of Chefs de la Surete was sent for. This official arrived, and, accompanied by two policeman, entered the room, where seated on a sofa, ha found two old women cf eighty. They were not disguised, they were not playing a part — on the contraryj they wanted M. and Mme. de Grulof as badly as the inspector of tho Surete did. They were two old Belgians, who had been persuaded by the adventurers to give up all their money to be invested in a sweet shop here, which was to make their fortune. The two unfortunate women had followed their spoilers from Belguim and were now waiting here still hoping. Fortunately M. and Mme. do Grulof were unable to get far enough away before their, flight was discovered, and they were rapidly tracked and re-arrested. Tbeir luggage on being examined, brought forth a rich and raisca'.laneous collection of necklaces, ! coffeepots, lamp 3, lace, packets of tea and sugar, and superb dres-os, all stuffed away pell-mell in various packing cases. The noble swindlers arc foreigners and came from Belgium.

Of all the swindles and tricks played in the gay capital, the confidence trick is without end. The victim is nearly always a hopeless fool and is mostly engaged in some na3ty amusement at the time of his undoing. Gurtare Beaubourg, however was an exception. He bad just arrived here and was looking for work, a quest which had takt-n him to the Jardin des Plantes. Ac he stood there a man came up and entered into conversation. Beaubourg eaid he wanted a situation as waiter in a ca.fi. •• Very good indeed," was tho stranger's reply, " I want a waiter, I will engage you. Come along with me at once ; or, perhaps you had better go to your hotel and say you won't want your room. lam going straight back to my cafe, so give me your bag, etc." Beaubourg gave up his bag containing 700frs, and is now engaged in a vain search for tbe obliging caf(s proprietor.