Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-06-26
A SWINDLE.

| menu OueTluS ~ " <oo "0oh'y w ''@N'oS
and young girls for work to be done at
home, and comments as follows:
"This is a fair sample of class of adver-
tisements with which thousands of people,
principally working women, or those of
moderate means, are swindled every day.
The advertisement is purely fraudulent.
There was never any possible chance that
those who applied for the work would ever
get cent of pay. The Times has again
and again pointed out in general way the
character of these swindles, but that of one
company is so fragrant and its methods so
| injurious that it deserves more than pass
| ing word of condemnation. 1t is remark
| able fact, in connection with this subject,
and with all these advertising schemes, for
that matter, that persons are so readily de-
ceived by them. Take common sense
view of it. Here is company which prom.
ises S5 to $50 week may be earned. Now,
| is it reasonable to suppose that the compa-
nv couldn't get all the help they wanted
right at home in Boston-more willing
| hands, in fact, than dozen companies
could employ? Then why advertise all
| through the country? It would seem that
anybody with the sense of a three day old
| clam would see that there was trick in
| the advertisement, and would not waste
time and postage stamps on the company.
''The concern has just been pounced upon
by the Boston police, and its methods e1-
posed, on the complaint of poor crippled
girl who has been swindled out of $2G.
Those who replied to the advertisement re-
ceived circular to the effect that the work
given out was embroidering on slippers,
belts, smoking caps, jerseys, table covers,
etc., the goods to be sent with the emDrold-
cred pattern already started Liberal prices
were offered for the work, and the appi.
| cant was required to send deposit equal
| to the alleged value of the goods sent to be
embroidered. A proviso in the circular
read that we at all times reserve to our
selves the right to refuse all work we con-
slider incomplete, imperfect, or inferior in
| finish, and to retain the amount of deposit
as a proportionate compensation for the
| spoiled work. This is the CATCH The
materials sent are not worth the amount of
the deposit, nothing near it. In fact, it is
| to the interest of the company to make the
person keep the goods. The company has
made good profit by it. The victim will
probably send again with another deposit,
hoping the next piece of work will be ac-
cepted, and that the deposit and the liberal
pay offered will bc received back. No
chance of it. The finest embroidery in
Christendom wouldn't satisfy the swindlers.
They aim to sell their goods, and that's all.
| "a certain man was the company as
sisted by an Office boy, whose principal
duties were to fetch from the postoffice
heavy mail several times daily. In the two
months he has been operating it is esti.
mated that he has secured fully $4,000,
mainly from too credulous women. The
Boston police have seized over five hundred
i A. oII to
| the company and the man has fled, very
likely to play the same game in some other
place under some other high sounding COM
pany title. Over 1000 opened letters were
| found in his office. Some were from ladies
who begged the return of their deposits;
others upbraided the manager for his breach
| of faith, while still others contained express
sions of penitence because in former epistles
they had accused him of being fraud. Let.
| ters were found from almost every State In
the Union, in which the deposits as security
| for samples of work to be sent were invari-
ably enclosed. One lady sent dollar for
sample piece of work, and received small
square of felt and about twenty feet of yell
low silk twist, to work figure stamped on
it. She finished it and returned it. Sheap-
piled for more work. The man refused to
send it without more money. After one
| lady had finished her sample and returned
it, she asked too many questions, and so the
man replied "Your work is completely
wrong.-You have not followed our instruc--
tions. Roses and buds ought to be red, and
only centre OF roses yellow. Also very much
drawn. Unsalable.' To another lady who
wrote under the same circumstances, seek
ing to know too much, he replied Madam,
YOU have introduced the Kensington stitch
| into the roses; also done the leaves very ir.
regular. The stitch unsalable.'"