Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1869-04-07
Gift svindles and Lottery Enterprises.

There are over two thousand of these
swindling establishments in New York.
There are about thirty heavy concerns,
which do the heavy business. These change
their location and their names often. by
flourishing concern the number OF letters
received daily Is from two tofTe hundred
These letters come memainly from the country.
The swindles are based upon some pretend
ed benevolent scheme, such as the Asylum
for Sick and Wounded Soldiers " or 'Un-
ion jewelers. Society :" or Soldiers and
Sailors Home 1" or Orphans Institute. "
Sometimes these concerns run newspaper
ana offer - gift TO every subscriber Ihous-
ands of letters are received at the head
quarters Of the police frem victims asking
redress sending for the prizes; exposing
imposition pointing out the locality where
the swindlers do their business, aud asking
the police to break up the den of sharpers.
Why the police do not do it, and put an end
to this robbery, viii be seen in another
place. -....
From some den III the city, or for some
store fitted up for the occasion, scheme
is got UP in aid of the "Orphans Institute.
BY the AID of directories, post office lists,
and Other means, the natnes.of haadreds-of
persons are obtained frolA all parts OF the
country. Circulars are sent to each of
these persons, containing list of prizes to
be drawn, the numbers, etc. Each is to
sell tickets Each is to keep quiet, as a
knowledge of the promised prizes to one
party would create dissatisfaction among
the rest But in every case ten dollars must
be mailed before the prize can be sent on.
The party is enjoined to state whether the
prize shall be sent in draft or in greenbacks.
Ten Or fifteen days, at most, are allowed to
respond. As the prize is supposed to be
worth one hundred to five hundred, the
parties catch at the bait, sends on ten dol
lars, and of course that is the last of it.
Another favorite mode OF swindling is
carried on by men whose ''sands of life
have nearly run out" The party repre-
sents himself as a retired clergyman n-one
who has suffered long from asthma, or one
nearly dead with dyspepsia, or wasting
away with consumption. Through re-
cipe from an old doctor, or an old nurse, or
an Indian, tie, party obtained relief, Ont
of gratitude for the recovery, the healed
clergyman or individual gives notice that
he will send the recipe ''without charge"
to any sufferer who may desire it. Circu-
lars by the thousands are sent to the ad-
dress Of persons in all parts of the country
Each person is required toput apossage
stamp in his letter, for the transmission of
the recipe Thousands of letters come
back in response The recipe is sent, at
tached to which is the notice that care
must be taken in securing. the right kind of
medicine. Not one apothacary in a hun
dred in the country has the medicine
named The benevolent holder of the re-
cipe adds to other things, that should the
party not be able to get the medicines, if
he will enclose So or So as the case may be
the New York party will make the pur-
chase and send it on by express. Dream
ing of no fraud, the money is sent as direc-
ted Ii the medicine is sent at all, it costs
about fifty cents 70 the buyer, and a hand
some business is done. If! the. swindle
takes, the party will pocket from twenty to
fifty thousand dollars, break up the con-
cern, and he out of the way before the vic
tim can visit New York.
The thirty. large gift establishments re-
ceive about five hundred letters day
Full three-ffths of these letters contain
money. Some of the letters detained by
the authorities were found to contain sums
as high as three hundred dollars. Direct
ed to different parties, they are taken out
by the same persons The medicine swim
die and gift enterprises ARE. run by the
same parties This advertising for parties
is worthy of special notice. A man with n
capital of from one hundred to five hun
dred dollars is wanted He can make one
hundred dollars a day and run no risk
The victim appears. He has little mon
ey, or his wife has some, or he has little
place he can mortgage. The gift swindle
is open 10 him. The basket of letters Is
opened in his presence. He is, offered
share in the dazzling scheme He pays his
money, helps open the letters for day or
two, and then the scheme dissolves in the
night. Almost all these swindles have
smaller ones that go along with them.
The names of the parties who are carry
ing ON these gigantic swindles are well
known to the police. The managers have
been arrested dozen times Broken up
in one place under new name they open
again. Thousands of letters are sent to the
police headquarters from victims asking
for redress. But one of these letters is a
complaint. Without acomplaint the police
are powerless. The victims belong to the
country. When they sent their ten dollars
to secure the prize, they knew it was n
cheat on their part, for they had bought
no ticket and fthere was prize they were
not entitled to it. They dare not COM
mence suit against these parties. The