AN ACCOMPLISHED FRENCH SWINDLER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1285, 3 January 1885, Page 3

AN ACCOMPLISHED FRENCH SWINDLER.

• A French nobleman played a game of ecarte with a foreign Count-,. The latter won, and the Frenchmen pulled out 10,000 francs and handed to the winner, who quietly secured them in his pocketbook and went home. Early next morning a gentleman of aristocratic bearing, and decorated with the order of the Legion d'Honneur, was shown into the apirtment of the foreign Count, who was still asleep. " Monsieur," he said, in tones trembling with excitement, "you hold in your hands the honor n£ the whole family." " Indeed !" " Kindly tell me, was it you who played with M. de X?" " Yes." " You won 10,000 francs ?" " <Juite correct." "And he paid you 1" "Yes, in bank-notes. I have them here." " Well, sir, the notes are false !" "Is it possible?" "It is alas too true. Last night we were surprised of the nefarious practices of our relative, and this morning 1 started off at daybreak to call hero and ask in Heaven's name to exchange those notes for ten others whic'.i I have brought with me." The noble foreigner, out of consideration for his visitor's grief, exchanged the notes, but on returning to the club the same evening he was not u little surprised to meet his opponent of the previous night. And what was still more surprising the latter proposed to ] have his revenge. The foreigner curtly refused, and the other insisted, which led to an explanation. The Count die v from his pocket the fresh notes he had received in the morning. The French nob'eman, quite stupefi' d, examiued them carefully, i.nd found that they were false. The gentlsman with the decoration turned out to bo a notorious thl f and swindler, who had thus contrived to. net 1.0,000 francs in genuine bank notes.—L'Europe.