Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-06-03
SRA2PERS AND THEIR VICTIMS.

SR&EsPERS AND THEIR VICTIMS.
Chief Inspector Sharp Describes Their In
genious Devices to Get Money-The Gre
dulity of People.
From the Washington Star.l
''The slickest piece of work in the
way of a fraud conducted through the
mails that has come to my attention
recently" remarked Chief Inspector
Sharp, of the post-office department,
to Star reporter, els what we call
the bogus medicine dodge. The ingen-
ious author of this scheme now lam
cuisines in jail, but, at the same time,
he showed himself to be man of no
mean order of ability. His plan was
to send out circulars announcing a
great cure for catarrh, which was dis
covered by himself after many years
of study and investigation. He then
proceeds to give. without cost, the
prescription for this wonderful medi-
cine and enumerates twelve ingredi-
ents, which enter into it's composition.
At the end of the circular is a note
which states that if the druggist does
not happen to have all these ingredi-
ents that the prescription will be filled
and forwarded upon the receipt of So.
The person receiving the circular and
DESTROYS of trying the remedy takes
the prescription to the drug store, but
is told by the druggist that he has
three of the ingredients, but not the
other nine. He looks through his
book, but fails to find even their
names, and so, of course, he is unable
to furnish the desired medicine The
discoverer of the remedy is applied to
and if the So has been furnished bot
tie of some mixture is sent on, which,
of course, is entirely worthless"
'"That is one phase of the case,"
continued the Inspector. Nov the
man prepares and causes to be pub
lished in some paper in New York city
an article about the prominent doe
tors Of New York city, with a portrait
OF each and a sketch giving some ac-
count of the life and services of each.
All the men mentioned are bona fide
doctors the leading men in the pro-
fession, with the exception of a man
whose name is, say, DIR. Hart. He is
unknown, but the sketch states that
he left a practice of $25, 900 per year
to devote himself to the practice of his
pecialty-catarrh. The bogus medi-
cine man then procures large number
of copies of this paper, and marking the
picture of DR.. Hart and the sketch
sends copies, together with their circu-
lar. broadcast throughout the coun-
try. In consequence he receives an
immense mail, and large numbers of
money orders and registered letters.
After the postmaster general had di-
rected that no more money orders and
registered letters should be delivered
to DIR. Hart, $4,000 accumulated in
the Brooklyn 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 g. door at the advertised
number was found and that was ALL
A DR.. Lawrence occupied the same
rooms, and to him the mail was de-
,livered, and when ne was told the let
tiers could not be given to him as he
was not Dr. Hart, he went off and got
power of attorney by which DR.. Hart
authorized him to receive the mail
About this time, however, the officers
came in and relieved him of further
annoyance about his mail matter
This same man was managing some
other scheme under the name of Law
I0uC0, Willie Ills 1Cctl IlSSII1C Was OOuuOl-
" He must have made a great deal
of money, as one of the witnesses in
the trial testified that he had been Of
Tered $4,000 to personate DR.. Hart. :"
1T is a singular thing" observed
the colonel as he looked refectively
out of the Office window, chow these
offers of giving something for nothing
take with the people, and how rogues
fatten upon the credulity of the public.
There another species of fraud, which
one would naturally suppose had been
given such wide publicity that no one
now would be deceived by it. | mean
the counterfeit money dodge, where
men propose to forward a large
amount of counterfeit money by
express or mail on the receipt of a
small amount of genuine money to
pay for the manufacture. Usually
all the victim receives in return is a
box filled with sawdust. But a recent
operator has devised a new plan. He
locates near small town in a country
district and then sends out his letters.
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 visit
or arrives the operator has a large
quantity OF good bills, which he shows