A Neat Swindle.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 380, 26 June 1889, Page 6

A Neat Swindle.

Quite the latest and neatest thing in swindling has, says the London correspondent of a Dublin paper, just been perpetrated in Oxford-street. The other day a stylishly-dressed man walked into a wellknown business establishment and asked to be shown a variety of expensive goods. He chose a number with considerable care, and they were wrapped up, the assistant putting the usual question, * Will you take them with you or shall we send them V The customer paused a moment, threw away the end of a cigarette, and remarked carelessly that he thought he would leave the arbicles to be forwarded. Then, with lightning-like rapidity, he snatched the parcel from the counter and darted off towards the door. A cry was raised, and two assistants made a bolt after the runaway, overtaking him before he had time to get out of the shop. He was brought back, and the manager hurried into' the street to fetch a policeman. Happily a stalwart 'officer stood almost on the threshold of the door. The matter was explained to him, and the officer entered the shop, and, after putting a few pertinent questions, took the thief into custody. Then, picking up the stolen parcel of goods, he remarked to the manager, * Gome .up to the station as soon as you are ready, and prefer the charge in the usual manner.' Seizing his prisoner by the arm, the burly officer disappeared among the Oxfordstreet throng. Shortly afterwards the manager, having donned his walking-oub coat and hat, set out hurriedly for the police stabion as directed. To his amazement he discovered, on arriving there, that no prisoner had been brought in on a charge of committing a robbery at his establish-., ment. He waited, thinking there might have been some unexpected street delay, but the thief he had given in charge and his custodian failed to put in an appearance. Gradual l y it dawned upon the manager that the whole' aftair was a skilfully-planned' ruse J ; and'soitturned'outto be.^' Tn'e supposed policeman to whom the thief had been handed over was, in reality^ a confederate ' who had assumed a constablels attire>and 'planted 5 himself outside 'the 'Oxfordstreet' shop immediately -after the > other t man entered ib. " . .... <

c One would think that you lawyers were wedded to one another, so closely do",' vou stick together," *' remarked an indignant Home Ruler to a legal lumin'alry who'campa under the banner .of Mr Gladstone. " Wedded ! not a bit' of it," wasthe reply. " We're only brothers-in-law." '-' * {

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>§Mrig licjaVily charged- with' carbonate of ,A°^?* ' There are .several nicely-kept bath pjbusea, with every convenience for those Iwhp wish to take the benefit of them, and |th»; charge is little- more than nominal. ggThe medicinal and therapeutic properties |&f the waters have already brought them f Jnto repute, and their efficacy in rheumatic |and arthritic affections acknowledged by have tried them. These springs iipnly require to be- known to make Te *|Aroha widely .celebrated as a health resort. JLThere are three admirably managed hotels the town, besides other places of accomIttiodation for visitors.

fTHE WAIORONGOMAI MINING MA.CHINBRT. || At Waiorongomai, two or three miles Ifrom Te Aroha, there are being: erected, fand almost completed, a gold crushing and I'sinelting pMant Nvhich promises to revO" f'lutionise the mining industry in the f! southern hemisphere. This is the proptrty s'6f the Te Aroha Silver and Gold Mining 5 Co,, a company of Victorian capitalists, fhirhohave invested about £50,000 in mines :^and mining plant at this place. It is for the plant now almost completed * that it is the most complete, most perfect, and most extensive in the southern hemisphere. It is under the management of Mr B John Ho well, an American mining engineer, who has won an enduring reputa- '? tion for the success of every undertaking -of the kind with which he has been "associated. At these works ores of every can be treated bv any of the methods : (1) The ordinary process for free milling ores, by means of stampers, tables, etc. ; (2) by concentrating ; (3) by desulphurising, chiorodysing, and amalgamating ; and (4) by smelting by means of blast furnace. By these processes the company will be able to save the gold, silver, lead, and sopper from the "ore treated, and they will be prepared to receive ores for treatment from any of the - colonies, in addition to treating their own. The oapacity of the plant whan in full swing will be equal to the reduction of 100 tons of ore daily, and Mr Howell is sanguine of beim* able to treat at a profit ores of a grade that would not pay under any other treatment. The immense importance of being able to profitably reduce low grade ores will readily be understood ; #nd if Mr Uowell's anticipation are realised, the Waiorongomai works will revolutionise the mining industry in Australasia.