Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-02-20

ONE of the most novel and "cheeky"
swindles that has come to the surface for
some time was unearthed to-day before
United States Commissioner Hoyne. 1t
is in the nature of "gift enterprise "
scheme, in some respects resembling the
usual class of swindles coming. under
that head, but differing in one respect
| from any other yet heard Of This pecul-
iarity consists iD the fact that no tickets
are sold, but all are given away, as "com-
plimentary." The particulars of this
latest "concert" swindle are as follows:
For several months past tickets, of
which the following is a sample, have
been extensively circulated throughout
No. 14s, 1865. " ~ MAGNOLIA sa8 $4,000
| gR LIBRARY CONCERT, " EuegTf shs
S150000.
ADMIT THE BEARER.g g& f&4s A5
This ticket also entities the holder to any Gift
awarded to this number.
1IcKETs, 81 each. MAYNARD q CO.,
These tickets were sent Though the
mails, and every recipient of one of them
also received, accompanying the ticket,
a circular announcing thatin case prize
was drawn the fortunate recipient would
be expected to contribute five per cent. of
the amount drawn. Editors were allowed
to pay their five per cent in compliment
ary notices. t.ts& &tahas7
Of course each person receiving
ticket and circular like the above would
naturally suppose that he was a, sort of
"privileged character in the estimation
of "Messrs Maynard & Company" and
as the ticket cost him nothing he would
hold on to it, and await the result of the
award Of gifts" with more Or less inter-
est. ,.sy ,a,..-s
A few weeks later every one Of the fa-
vored parties to whom a plimentary"
had been sent received another circular,
announcing that his ticket had drawn a
prize valued at 5000, and reque sting that
the five per cent, amounting to $40, be
sent when the prize would be forwarded.
And still later, each etholder re-
ceived one more little document from the
magnanimous firm of Maynard 81 Co.,
containing notice of the removal of the
concern from Magnolia to Chicago, and
the appointment of N. H. Bancroft g. Co.
as financial agents, to whom the five per
cent. above alluded TO should be sent
Very few of these documents were sent
to parties in Chicago, but nearly all of
them were distributed among people of
the country towns. A large proportion of
those thus "complimented'' bit at the lit
tie morsel of bait attached to the hook,
and for several weeks past IN. III. Ban
croft & Co.," the duly accredited "6nan-
cial agents. of "Maynard 81 Co.," have
been receiving scores of letters averaging
twenty or thirty day--from the unsus-
pecting victims of the swiDdle, each letter
containing the called tor $10--fve per cent.
on the premium" of 5000, which the
holder of the complimentary ticket had
drawn. 1t is hardly necessary to add that
Al Qo.
warded to Magnolia; that those who sent
it never received any equivalent theTefor;
that no such firm as Maynard & Co. exists
at Magnolia; that there is no such firm as
N. III. Bancroft e. Go. in Chicago, and that
the whole thing is an unmltigated
swindle. The matter was Entrusted to
the Special Agent o. the Postoffice De-
partment, q. r. Hawley, who found that
the firm of"N. Ell. Bancroft 81 Co.pscon-
sisted of one man, whose real name is
supposed to be Morris Mason. This in
dividual has, or had, an office at the
aforementioned locality, where he re-
ceived the moneyed letters, and carried
on all the business pertaining toihe
swindle. He was arrested, and examined
before United States Commissioner
Hoyne. Numerous registered letters
were found in the Postoffice addressed to
Mason, ana, as tney were aSuppOStu 10
contain money sent by his victims, he
was compelled to sign a written order
authorizing Mr.. Hawley to open them
and return the money to the victims who
sent it. Esd A@J @vas4 xa 9ns 5
OF course there have been scores of
such letters opened by Mason. and the.
rcmittances are gone beyond the reach of
Postoffice officials. How many hundreds
of thousands of dollars in the aggregate
the fellow has already obtained by means
of this bold .swindle is known only to
himself. 4.sT.5sx- ~ 90 -
Mason was committed to the County
Jail, in default Of $4,000 bail, to await
trial in the United States Court. The
penalty for his crime is a fine of not less
than 800 nor more than $500 for each
letter received, and Imprisonment at the
discretion of the court. Mason is man
about thirty years old, of respectable ap
pearance, and says he has q family in
this city. He seems very sorry for what
he has done, but he will probably be more
sorry before the authorities get done with
him. -Chscago Journal