Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-06-26
sURURBAN swINDLEs.
The Patent Churn and NonbIe Notes
SWiDi,es. NJ

Ihe Patent Churn scd NOnble Notes
Swindies.
About this time look out for swim
dies" might be now readily incorpora-
ted III the almanac. Not but that they
are always being perpetrated to a
greater or less extent, but at this time
they blossom forth and bear more fruit
Than at any other. Their inceptions
are about this time, in so far as the
country is concerned, and country PEG.
pie seem more especially calculated to
iall prey to these sharpers Not but
that city people are victimized snffici-
emily to amount to very respectable
sum in the course Of year, but the
field is not SO large as the country, and
the chances of detection aud punish
ment are much greater. In fact. it
would seem that farmers OH many oc-
casions lack all Judgment when a
smooth-taiking, oily and plausible
scoundrel gets their ear. and
THEY ARE VICTIMS TO HIS wILEs,
when the exercise of little prudence
would save them much trouble and
expense. An exposure of some of the
swindling lodges perpetrated extern
sively of late may serve 10 put some of
these people on their guard.
just at present the most annoying
class of swindlers. aud by their per-
sistence for ontstripping the conven-
tional book agent and life Insurance
man. is.
TIE GiuRN swINDLE.
A N @anuoro,,fl,, S,nolI s,r,snJla aud
yet one which nets the operator very
handsome sum yearly, is known as the
"churn swindle.' 4 well-dressed. glib
talking man, driving a handsome pair
Of horses attached to wagon, in
which is churn Of anew patent kind,
makes his appearance in All agricnltu-
raj district; he calls on the farmers in
turn, and shows them the churn and
the mode Of its working, and guaran-
tees that it is all ii is represented to be.
Circulars, containing recommendations
| from varions cues who claim to have
used it, are also shown. As an addi-
| tional incentive, he offers to take the
| otes of those who purchase, payable
| N sixty days. The amount asked is
| only IS, and this seems so small a sum
that very large proportion give their
notes for it. with the understanding
that these notes are not to be paid un-
| til the chnrns are delivered. Weeks
roll on; no churns are delivered; but,
when the notes fall due, they are pre-
sented for payment by some sharp
country lawyer, who has purchased
them at a discount of % per cent. And
| not till then do the dupes find that they
have paid their Sanction the churn,
| but for the privilege of purchasing it,
1t being patented. OF course it is
A swINpLE PURE AND SIMPLE,
but the victim has no redress, and is
compelled to pay his note with inter-
est added. In one township in Michi-
| gan the writer knows of thirty-five far
mers who were sold in this manner
within one week.
| THE HALF-NoTE swINDLE.
There are other phases OF this note
| swindle. Perhaps the most transpar-
ent is what may be designated as the
half-note swindle." The operator Of
fers to sell some well-known standard
agricultural implement, and take the
purchasers note for it, payable when
the implement was delivered. OF
course, ii is never delivered, and the
giver of the note is astounded when
his note comes to him for payment, a
pure and bona fide promissory note,
with all the conditions and safeguards
it originally bore wanting. He cannot
account for it. There is his signature
and the date on which he gave his note,
and there are other pecnliarities which
stamp it as his note. A close examina-
ton shows that il is only two-thirds OF
the note he originally gave. The note
| was 80 carefully worded that all the
conditions came on the outer edge OF
| the note, and these were cut of, leav-
ing it. as stated, simple promissory
note. To secure the signature, without
WfftIhg hs nefff, lanllf ID In man Il
customary, but not so much so as to
excite suspicion or comment. The vic
tim might explain or protest, but all to
of the churn, had passed into the hands
of third parties, of course at consid.
cradle discount, and eventually the
giver of the note had to pay.
These are but samples of the swim.
dies continually going on. The list
might be heightened indefinitely
| Each0nge.
| MoFAL,--Buy nothing Of such
tramps. Purchase what you need OF
men whom YOU know and who are res.
| ponsible Tor all contracts.
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