National Republican., 1886-09-08
sw1NDLINe SCHEMES.
Letters Received at tho Postomce De.
oartv,ant gho,yIno c,Ittt,to uo.uYo


partment Showing GuIlible People.
There is a huge scrapbook in the Post
Office Department in which are pasted let
ters from people who have been taken in
through the mails by swindlers, and who
find relief In sending their complaints to
the Postmaster General. These letters show
that most Of the old swindles which have
been exposed again and again In the news
papers are still in successful operation, and
that some new ones have lately been In
vented. Following are few Of the most
recent complaints that have found their
way to the department:
A Kingston IN. Y. y man writes ~ seen
an advertisement In the New York World
from man who offered to tell me how to
make a forchun II would send him 25
cents. WANTED a forchun, so | sent him
the quarter and ! got this slip Of paper
next day." (The slip reads: How to make
q fortune; Work hard, don't smoke, don't
drink, don't marry, be saving.) "Now,
Mr.. Postmaster General, don't you think 1t
is shame to beat poor man out Of his
mummy this way, and can't you stop this
swindliDg through the males"
A Keokuk (Iowa) man complains rs fol-
lows: ~ red In paper how man would
send me currect picture Of my future
Il
hair and my hight and forty cents. Now to
tell you the truth was just at that time
doubtin whether liked Amelia or Mary
best so thought would get the picture
and whichever one IL looked like most |
would go ahead and marry her. didn't
get an answer for nearly two weeks and
was beginning to think l was swindled
when package cum by mail one day.
When opened It there was nothen but a
VNta sNfV 30 arI I,.vlNl f.a
II with lead pencil, Just like the boys draw
in school, II didn't look like anybody IN
partickler at all. This is what was wrote
underneath, correct picture OF your future
wife-her eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and
other teachers, as showed above. | wasn't
the only one that got left though, nearly all
the fellows that red the paper got caut,
and you oughter stop this swlndlin."
A third contribution TO this scrapbook
reads this way: al saw In the paper that q
missionary who had Travelled through India
had discovered a remedy for consumption
and will send IL free to anyone who suffered
from the disease. My wife was consump-
tive, so / wrote to the missionary. In
answer / received a candid, sympathetic
letter, such as some philanthropic old
gentleman might write, and with IL pre-
scriptlon. In postscript 1t was suggested
that II could not get the prescription filed
III tomn nignt hpply w Ine WrlJeT anu NC
would get the drugs and put up the medl-
cine for any trine that / should consider
suitable. / found on going TO the village
drug store that the apothecary had never
heard OF some Of the articles mentioned In
the prescription, so l wrote TO the
missionary, inclosing two dollars, which
amount judged sufficient for the purpose.
A box OF pills came soon afterward with a
letter filed with religious injunctlons TO
my wife to have faith, take the medicine
regularly, and trust In God for results. AZ
ter my wife had taken about half the pills
without any apparent benefit, our druggist
dropped In one day and asked to see the
wonderful medicine that / had to send to
Boston for. Breaking one Of the pills open
he commenced laughing heartily. When l
asked what was the matter, he said
Taken in. Nothing but dough- and so
they were. The pretended missionary had
swindled me out Of 81. write this so that
you can guard the mails against swindlers
OF the same sort"
Several Catholics complain of having
been swindled by the following advertise.
ment I'm religious paper "Cathelics
Help the poor Passionist fathers who have
been burnt out OF their monastery at
Catonsville, Md. Their home, after many
years OF patient toll, Is taken away from
them by fire just as they are settling down
in II. The contributors will have masses
said for them three times week, and the
ascend to the throne Of God for them
Send all contributions to Father John, box
93, Baltimore, Md"
II seems that this swindle was soon un.
earthed, but before the exposure "Fathei
John" reaped quite harvest. The scheme
was q very plausible one. The Passionis
fathers had really been burned out at Ca
louisville just before the advertisement ap
peared. They did not apply for assistanc,
| when they discovered that "Father john
was operating In their behalf, they at one,
informed the police, but too late. The birt
had flown.
"The swindles recorded in this book are
but small portion OF those practiced
daily" said the official In charge to RE
PUBLICAN man. "Most people who are
taken in prefer to let the matter pass
rather than take the trouble OF writing
here, especially since they know that writing
will not restore their losses. There are
many, too, who are swindled In such q
way that any exposure would show them.
selves up In a bad light, as well as the
swindlers. The treasury plate trick is
one Of the commonest, and one into which
gullible people fall daily, yet no complaint
Is ever made. The reason Is on the surface
Inc bWlluleT IN J1llb Cubb CHOOSES his VlCUltnt
and writes to them that he has come into
possession Of treasury plate from which
he can strike off any number Of fgreenbacks
In order to get the notes into circulation
and avoid the suspicion which might arise
from constant use Of the same issue of bills
he offers to exchange any amount for bills
Of other denominations and allow large
discount. A specimen note is always in
closed which is, of course, a good green
back. The victim ascertains from hiI
banker II the inclosure is genuine and find
ing 1t to be so generally falls into the trap
Whatever he sends is, OF course, unheard oi
again, and he keeps very quiet about the
matter you may be sure.
"Women are often swindled by adver.
tisements OF alleged medical concerns which
claim to be able 10 make the face and form
beautiful. Some kind of worthless treat
mcnt is received In return for a heavy ad
vance, and the women complain as little al
the Treasury plate victim.' Whyp Because
no woman Will allow that she is so indiffer
| ent looking rs to require beauty specifics
have observed one very curious thing II
| connection with the swindles reported tc
us. Fully two-thlrds Of the victims say
that they read the advertisements In re
| ligious papers. / have no doubt tha
there are worthy people who liv,
out Of the cities and read nothing
but weekly church papers. They certainl,
| do not read the newspapers, for nearly al
the swlndles complained Of have been ex
posed hundred times"
Meeting of the Farmers Club.
The regular monthly meeting Of tn