“SIX BOB FOR A TAXI."

Taihape Daily Times, 16 September 1919, Page 7

“SIX 808 FOR A TAXI."

———--Ir—--'-CONFIDENOE TRICKSTERFS ’ HOW A LOAN WAS “JUMPED.” The old confidence tr‘ck of "J'llmDing” a loan out of a, stranger was t_l-ind at the Allck‘and wharf on Sal,urday_ The s_g. Amhura, was timed to sail at noon, and just on sailiixsg time. It 1111111 rushed up the gallgWaY: and 3CC3StOd a. young fellow, appl'opl'iatelY enough nan ed Cash, who was 3 D3Ss=C“g'~’l' for Wm-piro Bay. “Can yo.l lend me six M 1; to pay n'.V taxi fare, Old C""3P/' he said. “I’ve only got a cneque 011 me. and there’s no time to change it b9fol’o the boat goes.” The yollng fellow handed him a 10/ note, and With 11 “thanks, be back in a minute” acknowledgment, the man hurried dOWII W"gangway, presumably to settle with the taxi—man along the wharf. At the foot of the gangway he met another passenger about to go aboard. He tried the Same gag, “six bob for the taxi!”' with him. This man, -701111 Green, had started his hand to ‘his MD Dockct when the other fellow, Seeing the money coming easy, made -a rise, “Make it 165,” he said_ It was a fatal mistake, for an odour of rat was 56119‘ ed by Mr Green, who wanted to know Why the sudden rise in the taxi fare. and declined to fork" out at all. So the trickster went on his way, while young Cash, who had noticed the con-,

fab zvith Green, also lax-came suspici

ous, and on asking -Green about it hi» suspicions were confirm-.3d. The pull‘ of them made inquiries about the boat’s departure and found the sailing time had been put back, so they ambled along to ahe waterside police Station, and with a constable went sightseeing through the water-front hotels. In one of theni they were rewarded b 7 coming across the touching scene of the trickster, holding intimate converse with a pint of beer. He turned out to be a man named Coo-hrane Ratc cliffe (38), who had been in the hands of the police several times recently for drunkenness, and twice some time ago for false pretences. When the constable too charge of him, he admitted having fraudulcntl__v obtained 10/ from Cash and having attempted to get 6/ similarly from Green. He was sentenced to a months’ hard labour.