Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-25

9SuSc dUu AOuCSty IA tuN ROpRAt 0t i0ASC,
il would be sufficient to say that these
circulars are self-evident lies; hut this not
being the case, it must be shown that the Sc
men really do not deal in counterfeit
money. In that simple fact is not only
their immunity, but their profit To pro-
duce an imitation of the United States cur
rency sufficiently exact to hays q ready
circulation is an operation not oily requir-
ing the expenditure Of much tine, labor;
skill, and money, but involvingmore risk
of punishment than most men bare to as
sumo. These cheap Johns d villainy
have therefore hit upon an expedent which
demands skill, little labor, and less
money, besides being perfectly unob-
noxious to any crimes act which ever
has been, or, perhaps, ever can be devised.
When these knaves first began, they con-
Quoted their business exclusively through
the Post Office, and at that time they were
as grimly iocose with their dupes as now,
for they sent as the counterfeits the
small Photographic cards of the green
backs lately so common, and which could
be bought in unlimited quantities for a
fraction Of penny each: But the United
States Government speedily tired of being
partner to this fraud, and without much
law to back it up, but with great moral
and popular justification, it seized the let
tiers coming to the New York Post Office
for the counterfeit men, and returned the
money contained in them to the senders.
But in the end, the only effect Of this res
olute attempt to break up the swindle was
to put the schemers to the trouble and ex
pense of getting up new Autographs,
which bristle with such phrases as this:
~ DON'T WRITE BY MAIL-sEND OyLYBY
EXPRESS, CHARGES PREPAID. FL
Their own letters, of course went by
mail, as before, and, being in plain en-
velopes, were unknown and unchecked
By the aid of directories, commercial lists,
and advertisements in newspapers, they
lists of names Of persons in all the
important cities and towns, while, by some
means those Of men unknown beyond the
narrow confines of obscure hamlets were
also on their lists. 1t was this part of
their scheme which involves the most
labor and adroitness, for having obtained
their lists they had nothing to do but mail
their Autographs, and sit down with their
pockets wide open to catch the golden re-
hux.
1t is impossible to say what proportion
of the hundreds of thousands of circulars
they issued had the desired effect. Some
of the recipients tossed them contemplu-
ously away, others were indignant, and in
stantly mailed them to the New York Su-
of Police, with the idea that
they were putting him On the trail Of
hitherto unknown villainy, and dtmand-
ing in most peremptory terms the instant
Of the scoundrels that had
dared to tempt them. But many read in
secret, as commanded, and permitted the
golden vision thus skillfully raised to shut
out reason and conscience until they at
last ventured little way into the new Ell
Dorado by sending for the smallest guam
tity Of bogus money mentioned in the cir
,ular. In the early days of the fraud,
when the Post Office was the medium of
between two knaves, the
victim knave sent his good money after
he bad, and waited impatiently for the re-
,eipt Of his purchase; and he still waits,
or the circular swindler could write
etters, but made it rule never to reilly
% any. Since the closing of the mails
outlaw has still remained superior to fate
md his bucolic brother. The business be
ng done by express, two methods are
adopted, the first being for the victim to
'end his money with his order as before,
n which case he gets precisely what he
lid in the mail days. But the more Sc
luctive and general way is to have the
order come unaccompanied by any money,
the "queer" is Forwarded c.
D. by express, packed in small boxes
70 as to defy detection" Every business
nan can see without further explanation
low easily the fraud is managed. The box
s duly sent, and on this point the opera
ors fully deserve all their encomiums on
themselves for promptitude. When it
lrrives at its destination the intending
<nave, who has already cast up thousand
lines the profits he is to secure by cheat
ny his friends and neighbors, is equally
prompt to demand it, and of course must
oay all charges, including the price of the
queer" before delivery Having obtained
his treasure, he steals off to secret place
% examine it, having done which he finds
ne is the possessOr of small and exceed
ngly flimsy box filled with saw-dust and
little scraps of old iron, to give weight,
The whole thing worth upon liberal cal
culation perhaps small fraction of cent.
The remainder of his natural life will
probably be spent in pouring forth silent
lnathemas upon the knaves who have out
witted him. But he must take very good
care that his wrath is silent, for there
never comes a moment when he can bleat
MS sorrows in the public ear. He may be
rs stupid dolt as ever fell prey to the
sharper, but yet has sense enough to
known that his is only case of the bitter
very savagely bitten, and that so far as in
IGNITION is concernd he is many degrees
more depraved than his city confederate.
His mind was fully made up to do all in
his power to commit the meanest of all
crimes, by uttcring counterfeit money:
whereas the city rascal had never intended
10 do anything more or worse than swindle
he scoundrel who intended TO commit
hat mean Offense. He knows further,
hat for him to ask the return of his money
rom the tempter is only to subject him
,elf to derision, for he can make no legal
demand, and these fellows have never been
known to make any restitution, except
upon the urgent solicitation of Sheriff
Or Marshal. Therefore the poor bitten
rogue must nurse his anguish in secret;
his money has gone to the dogs, and he
has only to mention the fact to throw his
reputation after it.
An average of fifty of these circulars
are returned every day to Superintendent
Kelso, as they had been for many months
To his predecessors in office. They come