Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-07-20
A CHEAP FRAUD.
The Latest Device for Fleeing COVetOus
People Who Are Anxious to-
Get Rich.
A New Form OF an Old Swindle -Valu-
able Information for Only One
Dollar.

New York World: The following note was
received at the World Office yesterday:
"DEAR WoRLD-Your disposition TO shield
the innocent and expose the guilty ia a WE'LL
known fact. Here is one Of those polite cIr-
culars which YOU go fully described q few
days since in an interview. OF course this
is a swindle out and out, and il any man had
the knowledge this circular offers to dispose
Of he would not stay long IN Wall street or
take chances OF this kind. READER"
The circular iDclOsed in tAis note IL an
anonymous one, and the following is an ex-
tract from Ii:
"For months we have been privately fur
nishiDg advice on the stock, oil and grain
markets, and have a large number of CORE
spondeuts, who have carefully tested our in-
formation and never make q move in the
market without consulting us.
"We claim to be able 10 give in advance
the tendency OF the markets-thatl s, whether
they will go higher or loWer-for the day.
sour agent will be at room 81, Stevens
House, IL Broadway, every day from s to l
O'Clock, commencing Monday, July 18th.
We know We have something OF value to
operators, and 10 order to give them an OPP
poriunity to test il without much expense,
our terms for a few days will be only IL for
AL view" oANE Nhoh NbTJ wan NC ~ ~
So our terms are very low. Suppose an
operator intends 10 buy: We tell him, per
haps, that the market is going lower, and by
waiting he caves enough to pay our commits
sion twenty times over. 1t ID worth money
to know when the market is a better sale
than purchase, and our patron gets this
knowledge for S.. We might possibly be
wrong the first day a customer tried us, but
a few days test will convince any one hat
- 80 H. a. a. % - .I..
IN"
A TALE WITH THE WIZARD.
The reporter of the World, TO whom this
circular was intrusied, called at the Stevens
House to visit this wizard of the stock mar
ket. A prolonged search showed that there
was no room q" in the whole house. The
clerk, however, said that a man who regis
tered himself as civilian Mason, CITY" had
taken q room that morning. He had never
seen him before, and knew nothing about the
circular till after the room had been engaged,
or he probably should not have let him have
accommodations.
Room l6 had been accorded Mr.. Mason by
the clerk, and to this room the reporter made
his way. Ii is a small bedroom on the sec
ond floor. A bed, two or three chairs and a
table, on which were a few papers, complete
the furniture Of the apartment.
In answer to the knock, Mr.. Mason sprang
forward to welcome his visitor
81 picked up 9 circular OF yours on the
street," said the reporter. with q lump in his
throat as he said il. 81 thought / should like
to speculate a little-safely."
II see," said Mr.. Mason. SIN What line
would you like to operator"
"Well, l have been thinking about oil"
and The reporter began 10 mentally say his
prayers.
"We have decided this morning." said Mr..
Mason, "not 10 touch oil, because Of the vast
amount Of business We are dong in stocks.
Most OF our customers desire 10 deal in
stocks, aud we thought we would throw out
oil and grain for the present and devote our
selves TO stocks"
SIS it safe TO deal in stocks?".
perfectly 80. It is not like a gambling
operation. 1t depends upon a mans judg
ment whether he can ~ioretell tbs course of
prices. 1 am simply the agent OF men who
are in a position TO know the drift of the
market. They are in possession OF secret,
positive information. We nave been giving
Information for a long time past to a large
number of customers, and have given uni
versal satisfaction. During the past ninety
three days We have been wrong but three
times as 10 the course Of the market. The
other day one of our customers cleared $1,000.
/, Some men of limited means deal only in
small Quantities at 8 Time. FOR INSTANCE,
an insurance clerk last week Melted S124 on
I his operations"
A lea PROPHET.
as it expensive to operate in stocks?"
"Ob, no."
"What are the margins which must be put
up?"
well, we c%onfine ourselves simply to sell.
7 ing Information and decline to invest our
1 onasonoart raanau W. ara MT sfAaE hsobara
but are in a position TO tell our customers
what the market will be during the current
| day, whether certain stocks will advance or
decline, so that a man may invest with safety
and profit. OF course, in the nature of the
case the source Of our information cannot be
given, but the men for whom L am agent are
10 a position as regards the stock market to
know the course of price,"
II should think that by giving your secret
| points on the market to 30 many customers
as you obtain the information would lose its
value. A point to be valu tble, must be
possessed but by few"
"WelI, there are 10000 operators in the
street." he said. 81 have had ninety four
customers to-day. Taken by themselves thai
is a large number, but they are nothing IN
an army of 10000"
allow do you impart your information?
By a daily CIRCULAR"
"No; by word OF mouth"
After come further conversation, in which
Mr.. Mason enlarged on the advantages OF
his scheme, bat had not a word of caution
against investing mis- money to offer 10 one
VINO repre- ssnted himself as a clerk on a
small salary, the reporter withdrew with the
remark that he would consider the matter
and call again the next day with his dollar
The clerk of the holel said that instead Of
ninety four persons calling on Mr.. Mason
only about a dozen had done so.
Mr.. Mason looked to be ABOUT twenty-eighi
or thirty years old. He was fashionably
dressed and carried a heavy gold chain. He
is of slender build, with dark hair and
mustsche.
FRAUD FIFE EXPOSED.
Ga Wall street nobody knew who Mr.. Ma,
son was, and everybody to whom his circular
was shown smiled derisively.
ut is a humbug," said President Hatch,
Of the Stock Exchange, "such as springs uI
past SO thoroughly exposed this class of en-
terpriees and prosecuted and punished the
offenders that we feel now that men must be
geese who will allow themselves to be
swindled. No nan possessing such secrets as
this circular offers would sell them for 81.
MI. Ralph Oakley, of the firm of Oudin s
Oakley, the attorneys who conducted the Elk
change prosecutions, smiled broadly when he
read Mr.. Msson's circular. He said that in
order to convict, the swindler it is Necessary
to detect him in giving false information. i
they would keep their mouths shut it wouic
be difficult to punish them. But they gener
ally talk and make dangerous admissions
"We prosecuted about thirty cases of this ma
tHre and about a year ago broke up nesrl,
all the places. Now l suppose they ar,
-pringipg sp agaio. This is a new form o
the old dodge.
"In one case we employed detectives L
watch the men for six months before entrsp
ping them IN an illegal act. We got conn
irymen to call upon them and lead them Of
TO exposing themselves. We once sent a clergy
man TO one OF these operators. He aske'
him for his references. The operator, un
suspicious Of the clergyman, mentioned tn
nam of a president of a great insuranc
company. Ii is unnecessary to say that h
had never heard of the operator. That wa
sufficient to cause the mans arrest"
ENRICH and revitalize.the blood by usinI
Browns Iron Bitters.
|, RamrOd Bread.