A HINT TO TRAVELLERS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."'
SIR,—As this is the time when so many English people are proceeding to the South of France, perhaps my experience a few days ago may be of use as regards a passenger's personal and private property. The two ladies of my party were travelling in a couchette on the 14.10 train ex Paris, which stops some forty minutes at Lyons about midnight. During this wait a man, apparently a passenger seeking a seat, opened the door, looked in a moment, and went away. About five minutes later the door again opened and the same man looked in, and asked in French if there were any vacant places. He was told it was a couchette and that both seats were taken. He went away, but returned again in another four or five minutes, turned back the shade over the lamp, letting a sudden flood of light on the occupants, pointed to the end of the seat where the ladies' feet were, and said : " Is there not room there?" Ho was again told : "No, the whole seat is taken as a couchette." He apologised very politely and left. At 5 a.m. I went along from my compart- ment, as we had arrived at Marseilles, where the Custom's examination for Ilyeres takes place, and then one of the ladies noticed her small bag, which was tucked down at the side of the couchette between her and the back of the scat, was open. She examined it and found her purse had gone. The other lady looked at her bag, which was shut and almost hidden from sight,and drew it out, remarking : "Anyhow, mind has not been touched," opened it—the purse was gone. Her note case was there, but all the notes in it had vanished. One of the ladies was awake each time the man came in, and was perfectly certain it was the same individual on each occasion. There seemed to be no doubt that the first time the man came in he prospected, the second lie took the bags, and the third he re- turned them, but with such incredible rapidity that he was unobserved. The ladies were lying with their heads towards the door, that being the way the couchettes had been arranged. I advise any other travellers in couchettes to lie facing the door and to place any valuables under their pillows, if they do not retain them on their person. Also, to be very suspicious of anyone looking in for seats, particularly if it is done more than once.
My own experience on the journey was that on my way back from the dining-car, about 9.30, I suddenly noticed the middle button of my coat had come off. It rather surprised me, as 1 knew that they were all sewn on tightly when I started, but presumed it had pulled off in the pushing past people in the corridor. A little later the top button came off in my hand. This astonished me considerably, so I examined it and my coat very closely. Both buttons had been cut off by something very sharp, for the cotton left on the button was so hard and strong I had to take a pen-knife to get what was left off. Obviously an attempt had been made as I passed down the corridor to get at my pocket-book, which was in my inside breast pocket. I should have been sorry to lose an old friend, but whether the thief would have been content with its contents of two one penny stamps, some visiting cards, and a faded photo of my wife, I cannot say. I am not so foolish as to carry my money in so transparent a place on a French railway. An Australian gentleman with whom I got into conversation at Marseilles told me that a day or two before one of the train thicves had, at a station, pushed down the window on the side
away from the platform, and a friend of his awoke just in time to see his clothes, which were hanging up, disappear with all his money and valuables in the pockets. It is well known that there is a skilful gang of thieves at work, and it behoves all passengers to be fully on their guard and trust no one, inside a carriage or out. Tho consolation we got at Marseilles and Toulon, on reporting the matter to the police officials, was that we were lucky not to have lost more than the £5, which was approximately the sum the thieves made out of us.—I am, Sir, &R., SwYNFEN JERVIS, Lt.-Col.
(Late South. Staffordshire Rest.). Cavalaire, Vas-, France.
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