ELABORATE TRAP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 494, 14 October 1909, Page 3

ELABORATE TRAP.

HOW A YOUNG AMERICAN LOST j£ioo IN NOTES.

A young American named Forster, on a visit to England, has reported to Scotland Yard his loss of notes to the value of nearly ,£IOO, by an ingenious variation of the confidence trick.

On Sunday morning Mr Forster saw a small boy who had fallen into the Serpentine rescued by a plucky girl of nine, who dashed into the water with her clothes on. Mr Forster was engaged in conversation by a man who commented upon the bravery and promptitude of the girl, and eventually gave Mr Foister his name. He said he was Mr Willis, a New Zealand sheepfarmer, over here on a tour with a friend named Lawson.

The two walked together for a short distance, and then encountered Lawson. Lawson was introduced, and spoke iu the tones of a cultured American. Eventually Mr Forster arranged to meet Mr Willis and Mr Lawson next day. The la*ter gave him a card bearing an address iu America.

Mr Forster kept the appointment, and the three of them strolled about for some time in one of the parks. At one point a smartly-dressed man walked ahead, and Mr Forster noticed that he dropped a wallet. The fact seemed to pass unnoticed by his companions, but Mr Forster picked up the wallet and, calling to the owner, handed it to him. Among the contents were what purported to be some fine rubies and a sovereign and half-sover-eign, which the Irishman described as “ Irish money,” he having recently returned from a pig-sticking expedition iu Ireland.

Lawson objected that they were English coins, but Mr O’Brien—for so he styled himself—produced a bulk roll of notes from an inner pocket, and said that was English money. The four walked on together, and It was laughingly suggested to O’Brien that he should reward Mr Forster with one of the rubies.

The party ultimately adjourned to a restaurant in Holborn, and while sitting there Lawson warned O’Brien of the danger of carrying so much money about with him. It was then that O'Brien stated that the money had been left to him to administer under the terms of a will of his uncle who had died in the States, part of it to be given to the Pope, and part to be distributed in philanthropic objects. He was looking for someone to assist him in this distribution but must have a guarantee of good faith. Lawson volunteered, and to test him O’Brien gave him part of the money and allowed him to the bar. He came back in a tew moments with the money intact and O'Brien was so impressed with his honesty that he made him a present of two of the rubies.

Willis, who played a minor part in the affair, had meanwhile disappeared and it was agreed that Mr Forster should be permitted to assist in the philanthropic work if he would submit to some such test as that undergone by Dawson. In his case, though, was to entrust O’Brien with money and Dawson would accompany the Irishman during his absence. Mr Forster produced notes to the value of nearly ,£IOO, and passed them to O’Brien, who with Dawson quitted the apartment. Mr Forster waited, and then realising that he had been duped went in search of his friends. He could discover no trace of them.