Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-05-13
Stupendous Fraud upon Emigrants--.
Something to be Looked to-

lie ChicsSo frt6uHe makes some
startling dc, elopments in relation To
system o. organized aud ski'llul frauds,
practicsd upon emigrants landing in
New York, and bound for the West -
1t says:
La the city Of New York there are
various organized companies and firms
having we'll known places of business
and c Employing large number OF run.
ners an outdoor men, who are the
prime movers and inceptors Of the
fiauds constantly practised upon en-
! igran's. There is one alone of these
establishments which employs, in all,
force OF fifteen hundred men. These
employees are Of cyery class Of otiet!
selected with reference TO the work
which they have TO do, and admirably
| qualified to do that work. One divis.
;on OF this corps d. fndustrie, to call il
byno harsher name. is comp sed OF
! fighting meG: men Of the Tom Hyer and
faikee Sullivan STRIPE; who do the bull
| lying work OF The establishment, and are
ready to knock down and drag out all
who venture to interfere with the opera
tons o! their more polished fellow swim
d ers. The runners AID talking men o.
these establishments are generally we'll
educated men, mostly foreigners, and ca
pable OF speaking several languages.
The mode ofop rations pursuel by these
gentry is somewhat rs follows: heating
Of an emigrant ship about to sail for
Bremen. Havre, or other port, they cul-
tivate the acquain'aEce OF her master
and make him proposi;ionto the effect
that upon his return trip, wish his car
| 60 of three, four or i've hundred emf
grants, as The case may be, he will allow
a runner from the establishment, accom-
panied by three or four friends, to board
/ bis vessel some few hours in advance
! of any one else, for some hours before
| the passengers are permitted to land,
| For .his accommodation they agree to
! give him one, two, or three hundred
dollars. or whatever sum he may value
his conscience al. This bargain accom-
pIished, the ship goes Oh her voyage,
i ships her cargo, end sets tut on her re.
turn. Her arrival at New York is
| carefully watched for, the runner and
his friends set cut and board her as
agreed upon. They are letloose among
the emigrants and The work Of plumber
commences. Speaking the language Of
making them unders and, and in the
great majority o! Instances, implicitly
believe their presentations They rep
sent themselves as agents Of the various
| Transportation lines running from New
York 10 Chicago, and to the Great West,
and offer TO sell them through tickets 10
This city. Milwaukee, ST. Louis, or any
10 her point where they may wish 10 go.
They are at no loss for plausible s;o-
ries, aud persuade the emisrdn,s, ig-
norant Of every thing here, and easily
! imposed upon. that their only chance
i Of getting tickets is 10 buy of them. as
the railroad officers on shore wilt not
sell, &c. &c. They ask FOR .hi ough tick
1 ct TO Chicago, second class Of course,
/ fifteen dollars; if they canno, ex.ort that
amount, they will take fourteen; il that
stances have been known where a run
4 ner has sold in a single ship, Eve hun
| dred tickets; all OF them al Il price rang
ing from three 10 seven dollars ADJ pacc
ooer the rates charged by tie Railroad
npanies. the balance going into the
| pocket Of the establishment referred 10
! The emigrants when landed are sert 10
the Railroad stations, aud are trans
| ferred to their destinations; the Railroad
Company receives The regular rate Ior
their passage and the surplus, be il
what ii may, goes to the men, bers OF The
corps a. mdusirie.
i The Tribune has "no idea that a
scheme, organized SO complete, and en-
/ bracing so much wealth. could be pu'
down by any such vsnal government a;
that which presiles over toe mnnicipa
affairs Of New Yctk." Its plan is tina
the fraud be exposed in all the paper
in he West particularly in the German
press, and that soreigners in this countf,
having friends in the Faderland'' whs
contemplate Navigating here, SEM
them copies of the same or inform then
by letter
The Tribune further says the agen
0. the Wisconsin, E,pigrant Agenc,
having been directed by his moloyer
20 work against these men, aud show
to emigran.s the dece plion that wa
pract;sed upon them, attempted to carr.
out his instructions, but was forced Il
desis,, being told by these dvsperadoe
that if he persisted they would cut h.
throat.