Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02
Sharpers Who Fleece the Innocent
and Gull the Guilty.
Washington Star

mails that has coae to my attention
recently" remarked Chief Inspector
Sharp, of the Postoffice Department,
sis what we call the bogus medicine
dodge. The ingenious author of this
scheme now languishes in jail, but. at
the same time, he showed himself to
be man Of no mean order of abili Y.
His plan was to send out circulars an
nounclng a great cure for catarrh,
which was discovered by himself af~
ter many years of study and investi-
CATION. He then proceeds to give,
without cost, the prescription for this
wonderful medicine; and enumerates
twelve ingredients which enter into
its composition. At the end Of the
circular is note which states that if
the druggist does not happen to have
ali these ingredients the prescription
will be filed and forwarded upon the
receipt of s.. The person receiving
the circular and desirious of trying
the remedy takes the prescription to
the drug store, but is told by the
druggist that he has three of the in
gradients, but not the other nine. He
looks through his book, bat fails to
find even their names, and so, of
course, he is unable to furnish the de-
sired medicine. The discoverer of the
remedy is applied to, and, if the So
has been furnished, bottle of some
mixture is sent on, which, of course,
is entirely worthless.
''That is one phase of the case"
continued the inspector. Now the
man prepares and causes to be pub
llshed In some paper in New York
City an article about the prominent
doctors of New York City, with
portrait of each and a sketch giving
some account of the life and services
of each. All the men mentioned are
bona tide doctors, the leading men in
the profession, with the exception of
man whose name is, say. DR.. Hart.
He is unknown, but the sketch states
that he left practice of $25, 900 per
year to devote himself to the practice
of his pec;alty-catarrh. The bogus
medicine man then procures large
number of copies of this paper, and,
marking the picture of DR.. Hart and
the sketch, sends copies, together with
the circular, broadcast throughout
the country. In consequence he re-
celveS an immense mail and large
numbers of money orders and regis
tered letters. After the postmaster
general had directed that no more
money orders and registered letters
should be delivered to DR.. Hart, S., 900
accumulated in the Brooklya post
office that had been sent TO him.
When an attempt was made to find
Dr. Hart, of course, no such man
could be discovered; but a sign over
door at the advertised number was
found, and that was all A DR.. Law
renee occupied the same rooms, and
TO hIm the mail was delivered, and
when he was told the letters could not
be given to him, as he was not DR..
Hart, he went off and got power of
attorney by which DR.. Hart author
lied him to receive the mail, About
this time, however, the officers came
IN and relieved aim of further an
novance about his mail matter. This
same man was managing some other
scheme under the name of Lawrence,
while his real name was Connolly.
He must have made a great deal of
money, as one OF the witnesses in IT, 3
trial testified that he had been offered
1000 to personate Dr. Hart"
Its singular thing" observed the
Colonel, ''how these offers to give
something for nothing take with the
people, and how rogues fatten upon
the credulity of the public. There is
another species of fraud, which one
would naturally suppose had been
given such wide publicity that no one
would now be deceived by it. mean
the counterfeit money dodge, where
men propose to forward a large
amount of counterfeit money by ex-
press or mail on the receipt of small
amount of genuine money to pay for
the manufacture. Usually all that
the victim receives in return is box
filled with sawdust. But a recent
operator has devised a new plan. He
locates near a small town In a coun-
try district and then sends out his let
lets. He does not offer to forward the
counterfeit money, but invites persons
to visit him and inspect his stock and
buy what they wish. When the visi-
tor arrives the operator has a large
quantity of good bills, which he shows
him. In order, however, to avoid out
side interference, the visitor is taken
on IN the woods, where the business
proceeds. The operator produces his
money and the visitor examines it and
determines aow much ne will take
and what price is TO be paid. Just as
they are about to close the transaction
suddenly two men emerge from the
bushes, announce themselves as detec-
tives and proceed to place them under
arrest. The detectives do not fail to
take all the money from both men.
As they are about to march them off
to the town, the operator obtains per-
mission to speak privately with the
victim. He asks him how much
more money he has than what he was
going to use in the transaction, and,
if he has more, he advises that they
mad better better try and buy off the
detectives, for if they don't they will
both land in the penitentiary. The
victim is ready to pay anything to get
Of 1n & /