The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-08-06

MORE PATENT RIGHT HUMBUGGBRH.-
About one year ago, the people of Nor
gan County, or at least that portion of
the people who take the county papers,
were made acquainted with the p%artic-
ulars of the plow.point swindle. Time
and again, have other humbuggeries,
of the Patent-right character, been ex-
posed and the people have been thus
fore-warned against the smooth-tongu-
ed villain whose only business is to
swindlc. But II seems that dupes are
still to be found and, consequently,
we have to record a case which is very
nearly allied to the celebrated Plow-
point case.
Near ten days ago, q man appeared
in II streets, driving a team Of very
fine horses, and, after passing through
the principal streets, located himself in
the Public Square, lit a torch, and
commenced q TRADE about the ills that
aflict mankind and the causes thereof.
Having a considerable Of q supply Of
a tooth paste to sell, he concluded, and
attempted to convince the auditors who
had gathered around him, that the
cause Of all disease vas neglect Of the
teeth. Many OF our citizens, who
would not spend q ten cent shin-plast-
er with any Of our druggists for such
an article as a tooth-paste, gave this
rowing blow.hard their quarters and
half hollars.
This toothpasto gentleman had with
him a couple co4trtreS, who, Ms circum-
stances will show, operated in q differ
ent line Of humIuggery.
They pretended to be the p~atentees
of an invention called a "Mop-wringer,'
and it seems their plan Of operations
consisted in humbugging the country
people, 10y selling them Township,
County and State rights of this patent.
They succeeded in getting hold of
John A. Thompson, q well-to-do farm
er of Union Township, who had never
had his "cye-teeth cut" and pursuaded
him to purchase the right to vend
these "Mop-wringers" in fifteen
ties ofOhio, and the whole State Of
Illinois he, Thompson, paying them
the neat little sum Of $2.2O0.0O in his
notes secured by mortgage on his farm
| which is more than worth the money.
Thompson says the understanding was
that these notes should not be collecta-
bic until the money had been made
out Of the patent; but the notes, them.
selves, did not show any such under
standing The next move Of these
s~mooth-tongued gentlemen was for
town to sen the notes to some Of our
brokers. This they did not succeed 80
well in but, on the other hand, were
50 unfortunate 9s to get themselves ar
rested for taking notes for a patent
without having specified in them their
having been given for a patent, as law
of last winters Legislature makes nee
essary. Last Saturday they were
brought before S. L. Jones, j. F., and
had their he airing, and, on their coun.
sci becoming convinced of their viola.
ton of the law, a compromise of the
matter was agreed upon-the shOrper'
giving up the notes and mortgage ant
paying the costs of the prosecution
and Thompson returning to them the
right to vend "mop-wringers."
The evidence, adduced in the case,
disclosed their system of evading the
law oflast BEinter. Instead of the pur
chasers of the patent right giving his
notes for the patent, he would make
sham sale of some stock, he had on
hand, for thepatent, and then give his
notes for the stock, and by this means
the notes would read "givon for stock
instead OF "given for a patent" ~ tho
law requires.