I think he would have written 'gypped' if he meant to slander Romany. 'Jipped' would seem to have a vaguely Japanese connotation. Either that or he can't spell.

My brother, who is quadriplegic, has some side-splitting expressions for the handicapped, but I wouldn't dream of reporting them here for fear of upsetting the delicate sensibilities of FT folk, or at least of their policeman.