New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-10
CITY SWINDBES.
,ys co,-NTPpFpTT MONEY FRAUD.

su,n. are closely restricted II not entirely broken up
Mayor Wood has the credit OF beginning this work. by
staonins policemen before the dens with poster or
other means 81 warning strangers Of their danger II Is
bu, few Year, slnce hundreds Of these allurng traps
g TIE anwsry hourished In the most respectable local
tiles There not enough Of them left 90 swear about
The Old and successful or The players game OF pocket
hook dropping appears 20 have become entirely op-Ve'e
do not remember the mention OF case for a icng
period Perhsps il failed because II was low ana
Alsls Paine played only BY the ohsccurings OF the
sums AZ any rate II is among the things Z" the past
and The sceuest OF greephoTns may now leave sea
boat at sunrise aud walk az his nose can stanu ~ n
through the streets Washington SiHrke. "i'"ou
being tempted by pethorc poeketoook W"''u 'oln .
sschidlfkc and bland innocent INSISTS ne nus I"0
d,onred which he knows he ncyer had, but 10 s'e"i
which his cupldiiy prompssbm 10 lie ana 'heh P'y over
handsome amount in good money on the solemn prom
ie 10 tne cbildIko finder thet he viii f"rh"ith au
yertise for the owner We miss, zoe" the P"'en'-s0
game that was once operated by scores oil ius! A,o'
ound the boat and car landings we see no more the
funny Iit;lc ebony ball that some cOnd open Just ae
easy hut which inaexiby closed to the 1901 VINO
MAJ, IN money on his ability turn the magic hinge Then
bc, he less alluring getting into towering dis
pue IN some place where crowd OF confedera'eS "ouu
COLLECT with larger crowd Of innocens In the proportion
~, ono kusye TO five fools dispute invariably including
,nrs 10 bet the selection Of some promising squash TOT
stake holder the sudden discovery that neither OF the
dspuanis had bills OF less than s5o the bland request
that s1us hcy would just take the hill and give change
for portion the rnsping OF the change inc SUI
den cry Police" anything else, the Disappearance
Of the rascalS and the smile OF satisfacton WIN "ch
Mr. s1ras thought OF what he would do with the haii
value of $50 bi-whch was OF course, the most trans
parent counterfeit This business Is occasionally
undertaken but there is little done IN H.
Of the od-style games for cheating slmpetons'
the only one Of any prominence. outside OF square gam
plug ia policy selling. Although very quietly con-
Quoted Il is Immense business. employing hundreds
Of brokers'" agents. ticket sellers, collectors ana
STOOL pigcons The cheapness of the game makes 1t
ayoe with the poorest classes, those who can least
afford il and II Is wonderful 10 see what slaves IL makes
Of them. There rayheaded negroes and white
headed white in scores who have fought TINS espe
ca tiger for 90 years. and poorer to-day than when
they began; made poor and kept pOOr-through the
foolish idea that they could foreell what numbers would
be drawn ON the morrow and in what order. We should
ike to have expert physician In lunacy spend an
hour IN one Of these dens where policy gamblers consort
shout the time the drawing" is to come in. II he
failed to believe that seveneighhs Of the buyers were
crazy we should doubt his ability to manage lunatic
asylum Regular gambling goes on in the old STYLE save
that sene cheap games unrecognzed by the Kings OF
Faro have gone down. OF Keno hear little II
played all IL is syly and very shyly too Threecard
Monte occasionally spoken Of but 1t does not amount
10 much.
But since the palmy days OF pOcket-book dropping,
runous In proportions that the Government through
the Post Office Department, deemed 1t advisable TO in
trfe to save the avsrciOus knaves and fools who take
The bait from the consequences OF their own folly his
is the Secret Circular swndle We have explained 1t
over aud again. and other papers have done 80 re-
peated; but il proverb OF solid truth that "a the
fools are not dead yet" The first effort OF these Circular
swudes WAS In the way Of indecent pictures and books
which required the closest secrecy the part Of buyer
a we'll seller. This safe business If the knayes
sent goods and anything should happen TO leak out
that would lead TO arrests the poor devil OF
purchaser must come up as witness But
His was bothersome, and the dealers found 1t
easier aud more profitable to pocket the country
bumpSius money and send him nothing. II he COM
planned threat 10 expose his name was enough TO 81
him forever This publication Of forbidden era-
inre have been greatly reduced, and we now
seldom of the matter save through the advertise
incus half dozen operators in the dirtier of weekly
and day newspapers Possibly the bare realities of the
concert saloon and the bOue buresque stage have caused
painted and printed forms Of lewdness once bought
in The dark read in secret places to pail upon the
faded appetite of scnsualism.
Tutning from indecent books and score OF wonderful
means making money by selling this that nostrun,
patents pii,. alleged metals and what not, the noble
army Of SwiacIs some time ago hit upon the National
currency heir best hold. The first efforts were harm
less enoueh lar as the currency was Affected ana no
of shave than those who sent money deserved
The mean the selling rascals sent thousands
tories. newspapers, and mercantile lists demanding
the prOfOuudcst secrecy saying that out OF all In such
oue whom they knew they could trust, selected John
smith their agent in putting In circulation certain
'ddug that these notes We're perfect fac SMILES OF the
original every letter. line. dot, and mark being right
Il Mr.. Smith wanted 20 help the honest firm and
MAKE pile Uf money Tor himself he should send ON &lO
SO or 500 and lhSA would at once forward the cnr
bite kuowinc that he was committing felony but
great fear II detection would also actuate him so down
Ne traced bur Just in the ordinary Way In due time he
SOME place where no eye could see aud eagerly opened
his treasure, IL was all there the imitation was per
meet S Sa by s regular sS Size 'n Fa Ss
smiths feelings, and that Il served him right. So
hattic lcerboXes of the rascals were cramned daily
with cP-tie- and money from fools and seamps Finally
hun "ui Tie roeues their letters were stopped and so
VIZ pretty much broken up But eathke, the fellows
,,w5,s lcli upon their feet they are put down in one
'rIn,tii,i thrir business from the malls to express
rompanics and are now flourishing brayey.
Otconre tnc trick Of sending bills not half the proper
size could not lons prospcr-honor among thieves for
badc-aud BOW they make their counterieits of rcgua
much energy ESPECIALLY in and Saratoga We have
hcoe o ihrr latest circulars addressed to lady
-. - 0uch Is j. worth giving space 10: -,,
'r,soa Of -, srestani 'slaabt 'esrt ,--,
"brib' viii about 70
b. Thousands u rich do they nOti Do
lnoA hoS they beeone so ion answer No
nd 10 Ike~io OF that the
Of The circulation no, genuac but counter
is h ttfve iBi0 possession, bold
sni have Psssed Of
10 g. b % have quantity Of esmles Of Greenbsets or
irssnf No hle quality rcustOp which supply
40 &c have pronounced them arts
sni UbATei Of workmanship brokers failed
dee erf,tcn dctatney, but the contrary have
se,s thcu ncsms 1T tic original AMI will forfeit
besssa do M hat into trouble
@ . ., & ss n, S %. a, 5, t ss ss ns.
s,eclet sSi u he Willingly lsd purchaser
than wl
sl.ee price, i might
tuale The Which
ute - a. even you bad poeifu'