The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-01-05
SHOWERS OF THE QUEER. "


of the Queer" as they termed it, and cor
responding sum in proportion to the amount o
good money sent to them. This spurious cur
rency Was said to be printed from pla'es Gu gu
graved by the best English artists, and WIFI
such perfect imitation of the genuine as TO ue
ty detection by the most skillful experts-eVen
passing unnoticed through the various bureaus
at Washington These letters were oil litho'
graphs, and so closely resembled ordinary pen
manship that, to persons unaccustomed TO the
trick-one frequently used by wholesale deal
ers who have large correspondence-they ap'
peared us genuine autograph letters, directed
especially to their eye They usually intro
duced the subject by flattering illusions to the
vanity of the recipient. by stating that they
accidentally got hold of his name, occupation
and character, (the latter quite compliment
to Judge by the proposition that toowed) ana
that they were satisfied of his "busness quail
6cations," knew hun "to be reliable man,
.were sure he was Just the man they wanted,
and SO on to the disgust of any man who had
self-respect enough to spurn an open hatterer,
Then they made their propositions, as above
stated; winding up with an Injunction oil
strictest secresy, and lnstructing their patrons
to by all means avoid the Postotfice in their
correspondence. and to use only the Express.
And they were very liberal in their dealings
in addition to the cheapness of their goods, oil
ering to forward the queer Tor one-thlrd
of the purchase money down, qnd to wait for
the remainder until the agent had disposed of
the same saying we can well afford to wait
have no fears OF YOU" etc: knowing that
if the victim sent them any money at all, he
was certainly as much implicated in the crime
as they were and would, 10 save himself, keep
quiet about what might afterwards transplre.
This proposition offered chance TO the un.
scrupulous, who were too c0wardly 10 rob or
steal outright, 10 make fortune easy-wIth
4 certainty in sight, and but little labor; and
thousands responded to the circulars, with
view of engaging III the business. Letters TO
them came from every direction, and thous-
ands of dollars profit was the reward of their
venture; but they never sent any queer" in
return-at least nothing OF the kind could be
proven against them. 1t Was simply case OF
hog eat hog" They knew that they were en-
gngcd in Illegal business, and that nil who Ell.
gagged in it with them, on the principle that "A
common crime required mutual sccresy," GER
tainly dared not make fuss about what they
might do One firm. that OF Logan * Co. re-
ccved an average Of $50, 900 a month, for four
months preceding their suppression, as was
shown by their books and bank account They
were known TO the police, who were watching
them, for they kept large establishments, aud
advertised their business; but no proof could
be obtained against them sufficient 10 warrant
an arrest, until short time since, when one
of their victims reported them to the police,
who made descent upon them and took com.
pete possession of the premises of two of the
frms-"Logan 4 Co" aud "Watcrs & DAILY"
Logan * Co, who themselves did business un.
der about 4 dozen aliases, seemed to be- the
principal house, while the others were arrn
ces, and had each their separate list of aliases.
Letters were there captured bearing the post.
mark Of nearly every State and Territory in
the Union, signed by persons in all the walks
of lfe-trom the Congressman and Legislator
t" the mechanic and day-laborer; merchants,
patent-right yenders, expressmen, conductors,
etc. Disclosures Of implication astonished ev
erybody, by furnishing the names of many who
had always borne good characters. But no
one could be proven to have received any of the
queer" and curiosity was on tp-toe TO know
how the swinders obtaired the names of their
victims. and how they managed to cheat their
" flats " and evade the law so long. The New
York San, III its issues of Dec l4th and Dist
gives full particulars of the arrests and trials
and condensed history of their transactions
also number of the letters captured. Con.
corning the method of establishing cores.
pondencc that paper says:
To every postmaster in the country exco,t ,boso
OF the larger class most pretentious printed crru
iar Is addressed This circular Is headed United
otates directory Company" and invites the postmas
yer 70 assist the Company in the preparation of very
iorihiaaoIe work The extravaganza remuneration of
zen cents per name was offered and the circular is so
worded as to Danish from the mind OF the postmas
yer all suspicion that the request does not come from
@ os @ BONA nde publishing house The sue.
cess OF this scheme was proved by the fact thata,
lvase ogo postmasters forwarded lists to the United
states Directory Company.
Many of these lists contained both name and
occupation, and being good judges of charac.
acter they selected their men by analogy. As