A PARISIAN SWINDLE.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4433, 20 March 1883, Page 4

A PARISIAN SWINDLE.

A short time ago an elegantly dressed lady called on "one of the best known mad doctors in Paris, and in a voice broken with sobs, exclaimed—" Doctor, you are my only hope now. My poor son is a monomaniac; he is quite harmless: his idee fixe is that he is a cashier in a bank, and to everybody he meets be presents a bill or account and \ demands payment., he has, already'pot himself into serious .difficulties and I don'Jb.knqw.what to do." " And here the tears began to* course each other down the fair pleader's cheeks. The docter" did his best to cheer the unhappy mother, asked her various' 2' nestions, and finally gave some ope of .curing, the.. r boy. She dried, her tears, and 'said that she would leave, her,, son in his hands,. " I will bring ■ Irim r to you ro«.morrpw • but, oh doctor; the separation will' be cruel." Next morning she appeared with the boy. ," Tell your master that the person .he expects is here," and taking a parcelfrom her - son's hands, she told him to wait a few minutes. She then retired by a side entrance which the doctor had shown her, -and had advised her to pass in. order to . avoid a mournful, and, perhaps, exciting . farewell with her son. A quarter of an hour passed, the doctor entered the waiting room, and the young man presented .his account. "Quite right," my lad. I will settle with you directly," and he felt the young man's pulse. " Normal pulse," Bays, the man of science. "My account," says the young man, "My master, .will be ; uneasy ; please, give me money at once." But the doctor gazed fixedly at him and tried to feel his pulses ""Leti.go!" exclaimed the monomaniac getting into a passion, "Pay me at once, and don't, make fool of youraclf." " Violent attack," says the doctor, and he pulled his bellrope rather violently. ,' The shower bath," he explained to bis two attendants; and in a twinkling.the young man was stripped and a stream of ■ice-cold water was pouring over him. He howled, he kicked, bat uselessly. "When the doctor came to see the effect of the operation he was much surprised to find his patient madder than ever, ▼owing vengeance at one moment, and the next imploring his torturers to send to a jeweller in the Rue de la Paix, .and ask him to. come and release him. When the doctor heard the word "jeweller " a light broke upon him. He despatched an attendant to the Hue de la Paix, and in a few. minutes the jeweller appeared on tie scene. He tamed somewhat pale when matters were explained to him, for he saw himself robbed of 25 000 francs by a most ingenious chevalier' a' Industrie. She had chosen jewellery to that amount, but not having the money with her, she had said—" Let your clerk come with me ; I live in the Avenue d'Eylau, and my husband will pay the account."