Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-25
one can afford to come forward and Drove

one can afford to come forward and prove
it, so they are entirely safe. They abso
lutely refuse to do business except by the
express, and therefore the extreme but eff
fective method of placing policemen be.
fore their doors TO warn away the unwary
cannot be adopted in their case, as it has
been in those Of mock auctions, panel
houses, and places of similar peril. The
United States are equally powerless to in.
terfere; for it is perfectly well known
these fellows have no counterfeit money
and their arrest would only be time and
trouble thrown away. There is no case
upon record where any Of these knaves
were brought to justice.
1t is amazing that by so bold device as
this a dozen men in the garrets of New
York can swindle thousands all over the
land out of at least $250,000 per annum
but it is true. Let me hope that this plain
narration of perfectly well authenticated
facts will help to create public seAti-
ment which will compel every recipient of
these counterfeit circulars to promptly
cast them into the fire. By the creation
of this sentiment, and in no other way, can
this scandal be removed from the American
dollars saved from these knaves.
Compared with this particular fraud the
circular swindles are annoyance rather
than dangers. Of late the most virulent
and the meanest of these smaller swindles
is that of 81. F. Williams & Co., sole
manufacturers of aluminium gold iewelry
in the United States. Office and show
rooms 561 Broadway" whose particular
variety is embodied in an advertisement
found in nearly all rural newspapers,
offering for So each their great eureka
aluminium gold watches, of which they
say:
The watch we guarantee to be the best and
cheapest timekeeper that is now in in any part
Of the globe. The works are In double cases,
ladies' and gents size. and are beautifully chased
The cases are made OF the metal now SO widely
known in Europe as aluminium gold. 1t has the
exact cotor Of gotd Whtch dtaoays retains; 1t will
stand the test OF the strongest acidss no one can
tell it from gold only by It's weight, the aluminium
gold being One-fourth lighter. The works are all
made by machinery, the same as the well.known
American watch. We pack the watch safely in
small box and send it by mail to any part of the
United States on receipt of $3.50; fifty cents for
each watch Money should be sent by Post ON &c
money order or in registered letter.
The victims of this knavery deserve
sympathy rather than censure. To the
average uncultured intellect a good time
piece in cases as good as gold is desira-
BILE possibility at IS, and in sending the
money TO the swindlers who advertise
such articles they intend and do no wrong
to the community. Thousands do send
the money, and either get nothing whatever
in return or small toy watch which can be
bought anywhere for five cents. This fact
is SD perfectly well known that in many
cases where the thing is sent by express
G. 0. d., the express agents kindly tell the
consignee the true character of the pack
age, and advise its return to the shipper
unopened. Sometimes this sensible advice
is acted upon, but instances are not rare
where faith has triumphed over reason,
and the box taken and paid for, in spite OF
the warning If j. F. Williams q Co. at
tempted to do city trade upon the princi-
pie that governs their out Of-tOwn bust
ness, they would find themselves in Jail as
a consequence of their first transaction.
Protected by the non-residence of their
victims, they snap their fingers in the face
of the law, and, presume, are getting rich
very fast. Very similar to this scheme, in
its purpose and results, is that of James
T. Barton g. Co., 500 Broadway, just insti
tuted, which is called the Spanish Poll
cy," and seems to be a lottery, offering
prizes ranging in value from $25 to $1O,-
900. Circulars are now being sent all over
the country, with each one of which are
enclosed eighteen checks like this:
THIS CHECK will be put in the.
Wheel as soon as received and paid.
for; the owner thereof will be law:
fully entitled to whatever Prize it:
may draw.
.NO. ....--. :.'.'.-'.
The number selected by you.
should be put down In plain figures:
lin the space above.
JAMES r. BARTON d co.
........'.....-.....'
These checks, it is said, are placed in the
wheel, and we are told the drawings take
place daily in the large rotunda in the
rear of our Office, at three o'clock p. m, in
he presence of the purchasers of checks"
The laws of New York prohibiting lotter-
les are rigidly enforced, and if any such
drawing took place everybody concerned
In it would be Immediately prose-
cuted criminally. But this fact is not gen
r.