Well-dressed and suave, a Chinese confidence trickster was being sought by the Settlement Police yesterday.
On Saturday the man in question, carrying an oficial-looking brief-case, entered a Chinese house in Chekiang Road, blandly represented himself as a member of the S.M.C. Revenue Office staff and asked the residents to produce their rent receipt. He explained that his ofüce required the receipt for purposes of comparison. The paper was promptly handed over to him and he left after thanking the residents most politely.
About an hour later the same man went to 109 North Fokien Road, confidently swinging his brief-case, and approached a Chinese woman living there.
"I am the Municipal tax collector," he said. "I believe you haven't paid your quarterly rate yet."
The woman admitted that he was right and produced $11.20, the tax money. The man took the money and handed her the rent receipt which he had obtained in Chekiang Road.
"Thank you—goodbye," he said and lifted his hat politely. "Goodbye," said the woman.
A description of the trickster was broadcast yesterday by the Police.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.