The Dickinson press., 1888-02-11
TIE DUPES' DIRECTORY.
VALUABLE LISTS WHICH ENABLE
sWlNDLERs TO CATCH VICTIMS.

tion of Snide Advertisements and
%Swindling Circulars.
1t has often puzzled people to understand
how the petty swindlers of our great cities
succeed i'll flooding the country with their
circulars, and in almost every instance get
ting their propositions to people who, if they
do not become dules, at least read or con-
slider them. Judging by the number of let
tiers sent to the New York postoflire authori-
ties every day by people who have received
propositions to huv counterfeit money or to
engage in other netariouS schemes. several
thousand swindling circulars must leave New
York every evening for different parts of the
country. And the question naturally comes
up: How do these swindlers get hold of the
names of several Thousand persons every day!
The answer is that this collection of names
and the distribution and sale OF lists of names
OF possible 'lulss is Il systcnatized business
which hasbcen carried OF for years by special
ist'. and probably affords Il very handsome
income To Il score of s%harlerS whose sole stock
i'll trade is that they control whole hooks full
of names and addresses.
OF course. in Il large city like New York
there aTr pleltv of legitimate calls for lists
of persons who may Lc interested in Luving
this or that article. aud several we'll known
publications. are devoted To the compilation
of such lists. Some business men want only
rich people. because their wares ARE costly;
o'.,orS want only poor people, because they
Offer schemes for the saving of pennies. Each
trade has its special lists. One man has a list
of all the doctors in the country. unoth,x of
all the dentists, another will sell Il list con-
tanning every milliner, etc, etc. Each trade
journal is supposed to possess Il list of all the
business houses throughout the country in It's
special line. The compilation of such lists
calls for nothing more than ordinary indus
try and business intelligence. and yet when
done such Il list may he absolutely inliSpcn-
sable to a business house wishing To put n
certain article before the country. Tie hest
k:!own ways of preparing such lists are very
simple. One list of all the doctors of the
United States. which was shown the writer.
had been compiled from the medical dircc-
tories of every state and county and from
the city directories in each large town. For
all practical purposes it is Il perfectly rclia-
bic list of some 10000 medical men. The
methods i'll other businesses are similar.
In the business of compiling lists for
swindlelS there is an entire change in the
methods used, and Il popularity which will
~ wy ~ ~ ililIltIS II lIlttl u t!uIltS
directory, as such Il list may le termed, is
composed preferahlyo of persons in difficulties.
When n man wishes TO sell soap tn grocers or
householders, on diamonds to rich people. he
wishes every name on the list of people to
whom lie will send circulars to represent IL
solvent person, better still if actually rich.
With the compiler of a dulcs' directory it is
entirely different. Experience has taught
the swindlcr who uses the mail for Il counter
felt scheme, or, i'll technical phrase. II green
goods" enterprise, that it is we'll to address
people i'll sore need of money. The man in
good circumstances viii not be likely
to consider favorably Il proposition to
ruin his reputation for the gain of a
few dollars. So that one method of com.
piling lists of persons who may he ex-
lcrtcd to send so in order to get 500 of
counterfeit money has been to note down tbs
name of every business ma or farmer who
has IL ~moltsageora judgment entered against
him i'll the county registers office. The
small farmer struggling against Il mortgage
may listen to the tcmpter. In another branch
of the swindling business by mail, not con-
nccted with offers of counterfeit money, the
lists are supposed to contain only the names
of persons of very moderate means, because
they alone would he likely to buy cheap
jewclry, fifty cent diamond rings, silver
plated spoons at 81 Il dozen. etc. For the
purpose of getting at such people, the tax
lists are gone over and all the rich people
wecdctl out.
Besides the actual copying off of lists of
names which are found in the public build
ings of every small town OIL the tax list or
real estate records, n common method en-
ployed by dealers in such lists is to send out
circulars coucled as follows:
DEAR SlR-Wc are engaged i'll the manu-
facturc and sale of one of the best stoves
ever made in this country. 1t is Il patent
device, whereby II novel arrangement of
druughts enables you to save 30 per cent. of
the amount of coal used in other stoves: the
CRATE is also u patent one, which enables YOU
to save 25 per cent. of the coal, SO that within
n year the stove will pay for itself. We feel
that this stove will be u blessing to the COM
muiity and that it is Il charity to introduce
it. We therefore wish to make You the fol
lowing offer: If you will send us the names
and addresses of 80 persons living in your
o we will send you a valuable engraving
worth at least IS, and if orr circulars to the
persons whose names you send result in the
sale of more than five stoves we will send
you one stove gratis"
No one Duu lHOSc III llC DuSlllpSS nave any
idea of the number of persons who go to
work and write out the $50 names and send
them OH, never to hear any more of the won.
derful stove or its manufacturers But, il
they We're to inquire carefully, they would
discover that some of the persons whose
names they have given were invited sooner
Or later to buy counterfeit money or fifty
cent diamond rings. This method of obtain
ipr no,,,oS hoc hanO uo;pp on fnr ya,,.v /, ~,
some of the rascals who thrive upon it arr
bold enough to advertise i'll the country pa
pers that they will send their engravings il
return for names. A gentleman who has ha,
considerable experience in ferreting on
swindlcrs who use the mails said that tn
whole stock i'll trade of many of thcs
swindling concerns consists in their lists o
names: therefore, they are willing to pa,
we'll for a list which is known to be reliable
The average price to swindlers who offer t
sell counterfeit money is said to be fit
cents for every 100 names, and it is agree
that the lists must be returned in good orde
after having been once used, so that som
new kind of game may be tried upon the Ill
fortunates whose names are upon it. Whe
the swindler van to try a new game he hi
to buy his list from the regular dealer III
pay his fifty cents u 100.
Whenever q scheme is broken up by IL
authorities an attempt is made to seize I'll
list of dupes, and invariably the attempt
foiled. Evidently the experts in this kir
of business know the money value of su,
lists, which are guarded with the utmo
care. That these lists are not always the
oughly reliable is often shown by the invit
lions to buy counterfeit money or chrom
sent to persons long since dead. And it
also the common experience of persons w
send their names for one of the gorgeo
presents offered for nothing in so many
the country papers to receive for years C
culars of every description inviting them
buy chromos or canvass for washing po
ders.-"H. H. H." in New York Star.
Baby's Right to Truth.
Another point of grave Importance
baby's right to truth. 1t is not necessary
tell a child that q sweet thing is nasty"
a harmless action naughty to insure obet