A BOLD SWINDLE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2902, 18 May 1888, Page 2

A BOLD SWINDLE.

A correspondent of the Christchurch Press relates the following series of suooessful frauds perpetrated upon ■ soveral Melbourne undertakers: A young man of gentlemanly appearance called at an undertaker's establishment in the city aud ordered a coffin, for which lie gave very exactmeasuroments and also full particulars for the in- . scription on the lid. The coffin was, ho stated, for his brother, who had just died oil a farm a short distance from Lilydale. It .was to' .be sent to the Prince Bridge station on the following morning, and from thenoe for. .warded by'train to Lilydalo. The young man presented the appearance of one who was endeavoring to support a painful bereavement with becoming fortitude. He represented that he was an employe" of the railway mont, and was bearing the expenstm his brother's burial. He raaj&that oiroumstance'the excuse forMnigfor a slight abatement of tlio price demanded. The sympathy excited by the young fellow's sorrow being deeper, than, the usual professional sentiment, a reduction was cheerfully made. The young man tondored a cheque in payment, which exceeded by several pounds the price of the coffin, and the balance was given to him in cash. The coffin was duly made, and handsomely trimmed, and the undertaker went to the railway station with it himself in order that no mistake should be made. When he arrived there lie found three other undertakers eaoh with a coffin to despatoh to Lilydale. The porter in oharge expressed some surprise at the apparent evidences of mortality in what is regarded a most salubrious locality, and mentioned that he had already despatched a coffin to Lilydale by the early train. ExplanatieaLfollowed, and the undertakers disciwrei! tlioy were the victims of a swindle, that they had all received the same instructions as to the size of the coffin, and that the same name was insedbed on each plate. The police are on look out for the culprit, who obtained iu all a considerable sum by the gouious swindle,