The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-04
Sharpers and Their Victims.

Sharpers and Their Victims.
"The slickest piece of work in che way
of fraud conducted through the mails
that has come to my attention recently"
remarked Chief Inspector Clark, of the
Postoffice Department, to Star reporter,
'is. what we call tho bogus medicine
dodge. The ingenious author of this
same time he showed himself to be O
man of no mean order of ability. His
plan was to send out circulars announc.
ing great cure for catarrh, which was
discovered by himself after many years
of study and investigation. He then
proceeds to give, without cost, the pre-.
scription 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
all these ingredients that the prescription
will be filled and forwarded upon the re.
ceipt Of $3. The person receiving the
circular and desirous of trying tho rem.
edy takes tho 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 80,
of course, he Is unable TO furnish the
desired medicine. TIE discoTersr os :hiie
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" con.
tinued the inspector. "Now the man
prepares and causes TO be published 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 men.
toned are bona Jfde doctors, tho leading
men in the profession, with the excep.
ton of man whose name is, say. Dr..
Hart. lie is unknown, but the sketch
states that he left o practice of $25, 900
per year to devote himsalf to the prac.
tics of his specialty-caiarrh. The bo.
number of copies of this paper, and
marking the pictures of Dr.. Hart and
the sketch sends copies, together with
their circular, broadcast throughout the
country. In consequence he receives an
immense mail, and large numbers of
money orders. and registered letters. AT.
ter the Postmaster General had directed
that no more money orders and registered
letters should be delivered to DR.. Hart,
$4,000 accumulated in the Brooklyn post.
office that had been sent to him. When
m attempt was made to find DR.. Hart,
Of couree no such man could be dis.
covered but sign over O door at the
advertised number was found, and that
was all. A DR.. Lawrence occupied the
same rooms, and to him the mail was
delivered, and when he was told the let.
ters could not be given to him, as he was
not DR.. Hart, he went off and got q
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 an.
noyance about his mail matter. This
same man was managing some other
Bcheme under tho name of Lawrence,
while his real name was Connolly. He
must have made great deal of money,
as one of the witnesses in the trial tes.
tilted that ho had been offered $4,000 to
personate DR.. Hart"
1T is singular thing" observed the
Colonel as he looked rehectively out oi
his Office window, show these offers to
give something for nothing take with the
people, ar row rogues fatten upon the
/
species aud, which one would natu.
rally suppose had been given such wide
publicity that no one would now be de.
ceived by it. I mean the counterfeit
money dodge, where men propose to for.
ward large amount of counterfeit mon.
ey by express or mail on the receipt of q
small amount of genuine money to pay
for the manufacture. Usually oil that
the victim receives in return is box
filled witi sawddst. But recent oper.
ator mas devised s new plan. He locates
10 q small town in = country district and
then sends out his letters. He does not
offer to forward the counterfeit money,
but invites persons to visit him and Ia.
spect his stock and buy what they wish.
When the visitor arrives the operator
has q large quantity of good bills, which
he shows him and allows him to examine.
In order, however, to avoid outside inter
ference, the visitor Is taken off in the
woods where the business proceeds.
The operator produces his money and
the visitor examines it and determines
how much he will take and what price Il
70 be paid. just as thoy are about to
close the transaction suddenly. two men
emerge from the; bushes, announce them.
I selves as detectives, and proceed TO place
them under arrest. The detectives do
! mol, fail 10 take all the money from both
4 men. AZ they are about to march ,them
4 of 70 the town, the operator obtains per.
4 m!ssfon to speak privately with tho vic.
tir1.. He asks him how much more
4 money he has, than what he was going q
use ip the transaction, and, II he has
more he, advises that they had better, try
and buy of the detectives, for IL tbsy
DONE, they will both land in the pepf,
I tentiary. The victim Is ready TO pay
anything TO get out Of the grasp Of the
supposed Representatives Of the law, and
eagerly agrees to contribute o fund Ia
pay the detectives, The latter, Of courss
aecspt the bribe,, and, pocketing all che
money. disappear. The victim gets
away ns fast as possible, and goes home
i and never says q word about his loss
! He is too much ashamed. For this class
of victims, however, there can be nt
sympathy, for they are at least construct
! I've criminals. p Washingtos ssdr.