MEN ON THE MARKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 132, 25 November 1911, Page 7

MEN ON THE MARKET.

SOCIETY SWINDLERS AND THEIR MKTHODS. A type of social highway man who far outshines tho stage villain in the noxious character of his doings is increasing at an alarming rate in Loudon, Paris and "tiler great cities just now. Specimens of the type are known to the police as ••men on the market," and it is comforting to know that day or night, though he may never suspect it, a "man on the market" is never entirely lost sight of by the authorities. Only to those behind the scenes, and sometime to his unfortunate self, is it known how rigidly the -'man on the markefis watched. His position, indeed, though outwardly prosperous, is far from enviable, for, once entered in the black book, he is compelled to regulate his actions with so great a care that life sometimes must be a burden and a trouble.

Well-bred, well-dressed men of the world are these "men on the market," soft in speech, and of distinguished bearing—their stock-in-trade, in fact, consists of the finer superficial "virtues." Without these their victims, well-bred men, too, but foolish, would not be victims at all.

It is known that there arc several hundred "men on the market" in continental cities at the present time. This figure does not include the ordinary vulgar card-sharper—the true "man on the markefis more than a card-sharper, though he plays cards and always wins. He is sometimes a University man of good breeding, but with an irresistible bias towards wrong-doing. A famous "man on the market," known colloquilly as "No. 5" among the police, was admitted to a continental asylum not long ago incurably insane. During the fifteen years he was on the police books he was caught but once, and then 'he escaped punishment through a flaw in the charge. He is believed to have been the inventor of the mirror ring a heavy band of gold apparently set with a flat stone of dull color. Twisting the ring round the finger, the user is able to disclose his cards to his partner by means of a concealed mirror.

"No. 5" in his days was a dandy among dandies; he dined with many a foreign prince, and fleeced them comfortably afterwards. In later times, when people who knew him carefully avoided playing with him, he is said to have made handsome fees by coaching "promising" pupils in his "gambling tricks. Perhaps his most audacious coup took piace at the house of a member of the French nobility. An eloquent and pleasing speaker, he was much sought after for his fascinating stories and criminal deeds. On one occasion, invited to dine with an acquaintance, he proceeded over the wine to recount some of his most notable achievements. The recital so fascinated his entertainer that thev remained chatting until past midnight. There was no card-playing. But it is related that the next day the noble and hospitable host missed his watch, a roll of banknotes, all his loose cash, and his diamond cud' links.

-MARKING DOWN VICTIMS. The "man on the market" has several ways of becoming acquainted with suitable victims. Lie has a great affection for the young man who has either come into money or has expectations. Where possible he obtains an introduction to the likely young man in the orthodox maimer of being presented to him by a friend; but the "crook" who can obtain such introductions has to be a. man with an unusually wide connection, and the usual plan is to rely on the simpler method of picking the quarry up. This is accomplished in divers waw. The victim may be rc-frc.-hin;,' himself in a. fashionable bar, when a stranger knocks over bis glass apparently by accident. The stranger i« extremely cut up by his awkwardness, insists on having the glass refilled at his expense, and is obviously so much annoyed with himscif that the young man. out of goodness of heart, allows him to pay for the wasted liquor, and thus nn acquaintanceship is begun. The whole thing mm ms s„ natural that the victim does not for a moment suppose that the stranger is a. vampire; if he did, the ripening of the friendship would be seriously impeded. At boxing contests ami other sporting events the "sharp" is always present, and, when be has selected a young man whom he either knows or suspects to be well off. he takes his place beside him, and casually remarks upon the respective merits of the fighters. Hero again the beginning of the acquaintanceship seems quite natural, and the dupe is unsuspicious.

A XOTORIOIS ROGUE. Xot so very long ago London possessed a perfect past-master in the art of fleecing rich young men, by name Dick England. He was a notorious rogue, if ever there was one, and from an obscure origin ho rose to comparative prosperity through gaming and betting. England was very fertile in expedients in "plucking his pigeons." On one occasion, being with some other blacklegs at Scarborough, and a rich <lnpe, from whom a great deal was expected, refusing to play after dinner, the party made the "pigeon" drunk,' gave the waiter five guineas to answer any awkward questions which might be asked in the morning, and wrote out on slips of paper — "D ■ (the pigeon's name) owes mo 100 guineas; "D owes me 80 guineas," and so on. England, however, wrote, "I owe D 30 guineas." The next morning England, meeting the guest of the night before on the cliff, said to hint, "Well, we were all very merry last night." "We were, indeed," replied the dupe, "and I only hope that I did not offend anyone, for I must confess that I drank a groat deal more than usual." "You were in good spirits, my dear fellow," said England, "that was all; and now, before I forget .let me pay you the thirty guineas I lost to you last night. lam not very lucky at cards."

D stared, and positively denied having played for a shilling, but England assured him upon his honor that he had. He added that he had paid hundreds to men who, having drunk deep, remembered nothing till ho had shown them his aoeount. 'Being a novice, Mr. D thus fell into the trap laid for him. and put the notes in his pocket, thinking England the most upright man he had ever met.

Shortly after. Mr. England's friends presented their cards. Mr. D , thunderstruck at their demands, swore that he had never played with them, and indeed that he did not know of his having played at all. until "Captain" England, very much to his credit, had paid him 30 guineas, though he himself did not remember any cards or dice having been in the room. The leader of the band replied with great warmth, "Sir, it is the first time my honor was ever doubted. Captain England and the waiter will tell you T won 100 guineas off you, though I was a great loser by the night's play." The victim of the plot, however, fortunately for himself, met some friendswho were men of the world, and one of them having examined the waiter, and promised him another five guineas

it' lie spoke tin: truth, tin; hitter at last admitted that England and his companions wore notorious biackligs, and that Mr. D did not play at all; or, if lio did, it could not have- been for morn than live minutes, as the r«st of tin; party were constantly ringing and making punch in their own way.

On the advice of this fiiend, D ended the matter by sending England back his thirty guineas, with live more to pay the cost of the supper; and the sharks, finding that the affair was likely to do them no good, left Scarborough the next day.

UNDONE BY AMiiITION. ( In no way have young men of wealth and birth been more swindled of late years than through their desiro to belong to some good, yet not too starchy, West End club, for, be it said, even men of the most eligible and distinguished kind have often to wait for years before obtaining membership of certain of the old and more exclusive clubs. This latter fact has been taken full note of by gangs of sharks, the usual components of which have been moneylenders, wino and cigar merchants, and broken-down swells—usually military ones. The latter are men of good birth and undoubted military rank men wholly without scruples or cash, but with the ready means of getting to know young fellows of wealth and good family.

These broken-down swells have been used both as decoys and catspaws, and, egged on by the money-lenders andthe wine merchants, have been provided with capital to canvass amongst_ the many young men in fashionable circles who'are waiting for admission to great clubs. With infinite plausibility the sharks have, at the rooms of the destined victims, called little meetings with a view to forming small clubs in which any amount of freedom and jollity has been promised. Mere youths, who have, not long been emancipated from great public schools, are flattered by being appointed members of the "committees" of clubs with high-sounding titles, and associated with them are a few men of straw with aristocratic names, the "president" of the establishment generally being the arch-swindler of the lot.

THE RECKONING. Things go merrily on for a little while, and all sorts of pleasures are organised. The wealthy voung committeemen sign almost anything that is placed before them, and the cigar merchant and the wine purveyor revel in orders. The sharks are always there to introduce the money-lender when the fun begins to flag. Some day the landlord and the tradesmen begin to be impatient, and then the aritsocratic young'committeemen wake up to find that their names have been used to obtain chedit to the extent of thousands, and that their fel-low-committeemen, including the affable president, who has hazy notions of bookkeeping, are men of straw, and worse.

THE " FLY FLAT " MEDIUM. In an anomalous position, half-way between honesty and roguery, is the curious person known as a "fly flat." He is, shortly, a man with all the instincts of a rogue, but, without the brains necessary for success, he is exploited by cleverer rogues than himself. Under pretence of letting him stand in with them in some nefarious scheme, they strip him of any money he may .possess. Nor can ho complain (or 'squeal," as the sharper's slang goes), as he must then confess to being a confederate of rascals.

A very pretty scheme had as it object a "ily flat," with about a thousand pounds to lose, a year or two ago. When he was invited by some professional sharpers to join in the fleecing of a certain ''American millionaire." he jumped at the chance, and consented with enthusiasm. It was . explained to him that the prospective victim must, be allowed In win .1 little, at first, in order to give him confidence, and lead him on to heavier betting. Tn the American millionaire's suite of rooms, at a colossal hotel rmich frequented by trnns-Atlan-iic visitors, the "amo began. The flat's money vanished like leaves in autumn; but he regarded the spectacle with equanimity, expecting to see it all come back to him, with some of the rich American's dollars to keep it company. Presently, when it seemed time for him to begin tn lose, the innocent American fell from his chair in a fit. With many expressions of «mypatliy and distress, the cardplayers put the sufferer to bed. and sent for a doctor. There was no more gambling that night. It should be explained that the part of the American millionaire was enacted by a. notorious "crook." who had Vfince become one of his Majesty's o-uests for the part he played in connection with a big bank fraud. The one object of the gang was to obtain the "fly flat's" remaining thousand pounds.