Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-07

psAuAeS, ana benevolent and CO OPerotve unio.s
In numDerless forms, but oil miserable H3uus
ior obtaining the money Of the Oyercreduioos.
All these catch their victims, and they in turn
MAKE the Post Office department the victim Oh
THE COUNTERPART GoNHY TRICK.
zone scheme levied quite contribution nom
those who wished to do . thriving business In
passing counterfeit money" continued the
omciai: The rogue sent out 70 picked men
stating that wss !empe Of very S1
20 supply Of. saos V woald BE Be promptly r.
thought he saw a fine chance. On presenting
ms specimen bill he found banks accepted u
a sad ~ SO ne bit At the bait sent on his $So
was In no situation to 'squeal.'"
MATRIMONIAL UNIONS.
There were On the fraud docket ct one
time" continued the official "and published
as frauds nearly one hundred bogus insurance
aiding matrimonial alliances and paying .
snug sum to member on his or her marriage
The number Of verdant young men, Of simple,
yearned for husbands. homes and an endow-
ment, who were heeced by these frauds, would
coionixe new territory"
THEY CONE UP SMILING.
"A few years ago." said the oticial ''the de-
partment tried to guard the public against
these cheats by advertising them In the Postal
Guide A list Of frauds used to be published
rom time TO time. 1t ran up into the hun
we're Sg Hnasr
Just as soon as the Great Western Suckemin
assurance company was published as q fraud,
Doembrown Guaranty Insurance association.
AZ iast aS fraudulent scheme was unearthed,
IT. aived IKE duck aud came up somewhere
just As eager to be swindlad ~ ever.
o.. Inc power given to the Postmaster General
W oppose theSe schemes Is very limited. When
SATISFACTORY evidence In OrO0nced that
person Is conducting q scheme or device 70
obtain money through the mails by false or
promises, the Possmsster General may sS1 order
the postmaster At the Office where the rascal
deaps MS harvest to return registered letters adj
dressed TO the rascal to the office whence they
came, to be given back to the sender, and TO
Withhold payment Of money orders. But no
their other mail matter matte either to send or de-.
liver It. The exercise OF this power, when in
voked, has checked. to some slight extent, the
perience has shown it to be entirely inadequate
TO thwart them.
WHAT PROTECTION THE Law GIVES.
"United States statutes make it penal to en-
gage in such fraudulent schemes, and Q great
many of these rogues have been brought to JUS
tice. Post Office inspectors sre on their track con-
stantly, ana when evidence can be found and Q
case made against these depredstors on the
prosecuted. But conviction Is attended with
many difficulties. The victims often live In dis
."A1 StsteS 1ney OlSIlk6 10 20 uunOEeQ6 OF miles
70 testify against q stranger who has cheated
them out ofinconsiderable sums. 1t is not easy
to trace letters from their hands into the post
ONCE, or from the Office into their hands. Hun
dreds OF cases in which the guilt is morally
manifest, tail of conviction because 1t is inn
possible TO supply every link in the chain OF
legal evidence essential to establish guilt beyond
. reasonable doubt,
DIFFICULT TO PRnTECT FOOLS.
"And the statutes, the marshals and the
courts" remarked the official" are not numer-
Gus enough nor powerful enough to protect all
the fools from all the knaves. Much less can the
post office department do so. It's chief business
Is to carry the mails with celebrity aud security,
and deliver them with certainty. 1t can not
break seals, nor assert the mail matter Of the
honest from that of the dishonest, nor can it ex-
which it conveys. the protection is for the PEG
pie to be educated up TO the point Of learning
that all schemes advertised which promise them
much for little, are frauds to be stunned"