The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-02-15
The Bogus Commission Business.

Speculative ventures on the Board of Trade
! have become so popular and common
among persons of means that poor people are
beginning to take a hand in the business and
to try their luck in a deal on margins accord
ing to their means. The revelations that have
recently been made in this city Of the opera
ton of two or three bogus comm jssion firms
viii convince the public to what extent coop
erative gambling is carried on.
Thanks to the watchfuIness of the Post-of-
| fee Department the fraudulent transactio1s
of these bogus firms have been exposed, and
thanks to the ever-vigilant newspapers for
putting the unsophisticated upon tn cir guard.
1t has been estimated that at least 10000 has
been received by these firms by
mail and express during the past
six months, and no doubt their
receipts in the aggregate will amount to much
more than that. Their mode of operating was
very simple. and appealed at once to the Gu
pidity of their correspondents. 1t was simply
to induce Tom, Dick and Harry in the country
to send in FIVE dollars, ten dollars, or any other
sum that they were willing to invest in big
pool that was sure to realize big thing for the
investors. The smaller the sums sent the bet
ter, and the more scattered the correspondents
the better for the sharpers engaged in the
swindle, because the small contributors were
less liable to make them trouble in the final
outcome than if the donations had been larger.
In this way cooperative gambling can be car
ried on to any extent and on grand scale, to
the great profit of those who receive and han
die the cash.
The scheme had many merits as a 1rst-class
swindle 1t held out the deuSive promise to
make little money for the contributors by
lucky turn of the wheel of fortune (Which al
ways turns in favor of the man at the crank,
and the amounts were so small that nobody
was likely to make a fuss about It if things
took an unfavorable turn on the board"
And then, with the aid of adr0it and unscrupu-
lous accomplces, the books of the firm could
always be so manipulated that "heads l win,
and tails you lose, and everything would ap-
pear square on its face. These skilIfuI rascals
could have so managed the business that they
could really have invested the money in mar
gins and if they had been on the winning side,
could hav" kept the surplus, and showed their
customers that there had been a loss. But the
probability is that no investment o the sort
had been made, and that their immense re-
ceipts have been put where they will do the
most good to themselves.
The whole shameful transaction makes
three things a little palmer than they were be-
are soon parted; C3) that there j. an almost
universal desire to try ones luck in some sort
of speculation, and (3) that he insulIictency Of
our laws and the loose method OF executing
them make such audalOus swind 3 com
parativey safe No doubt, many poor men.
and even poor women, have contributed five
or ten dollars, or more. to this general fund
who will never reveal the fact t. "ny one, but
will bear the loss in silence. not wishing to let
have been making of themseIyes.-Chc cdgg
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