The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-30
TYGREEN GOODS.
H0wthe Swindlers Of New York
Trap Their Victims.
ALWAYS PLENTY OF SUCKERS.



NV Yonx, Nov. ~ [Copyrightsd. 1880. ]
The fact that number Of lstter carriers
IN New York have been helping the green
goods men BY the delivery Of mail goes to
show how hard 1t y to suppress these en-
terprising suindiers.
have before me nine communications.
all Of similar character, each having been
sent out by = 'sboodler." to tempt some
dishonest greg ahorn to walk into the trap
laid for him. These communication are
signed respectively BY persons who give
the following addresses: Charles Wilson,
l.040 Adams street. Hoboken. N. j.; d. O.
Purdy. 100 Mulberry street, New York: G.
W. Grace, Llntner, Piatt county, Ill;
Charles Church. Is James Slip. New York;
n. A. Helmbold. New Oxford. Adams
county, Pa; Henry w. Brooks, care of
James Ketxilsk. 181 Mott street, New
York; n. Mason, Masawan station, Mata-
wan. n. j.; +. B. Perry, 100 Mulberry
street, New York. and s. 7. Goldfinch. III
Baxter street. New York. could give.
perhaps. 300 more addresses of ''bo0dlers"
who are operating in this country. but
these are all that happen to te now before
me, and they are more than enough for TIE
present purpose, since. though every one Ct
them furnishes an interesting study. / can
not take space 70 tell the story Of more than
one Of them.
Charles Wilson is the first one that comes
to hand--let US see how he operates.
First. he obtains the names Of probab .
greenhorns by inserting in q fash peri0di.
cal, which circulates among men who wish
to Do deemed ..sports," an advertisement
offering something for nothing. Presuma-
ply, anybody who would read that kind OF
periodical would not hesitate to pass q
little counterfeit money if he thought he
could do it without detection; and. pre-
sumably, anybody who would answer such
an advertisement is . greenhorn. not TO
say .. fool. OF course. Wilson does not
sign to this advertisement the same name
or address that he expects to use in his
''boodling" operation. He also obtains
names of dupes by writing TO postmasters
of small towns and offering to pay them
literally for lists of addresses of snterpris-
ing, go-ahead men in their places, indicat-
ing that he is q manufacturer of q racy
sporting article or something of that sort
The postmaster, expecting to earn the lib
eral reward. sends on list of his towns.
men and never again hears from Wilson.
who, in this case also. uses another name
and address.
When Wilson gets hold of the name of a
possible sucker, he sends one of his
doodle" Communications to him. 1t is
one Of these that now lies before me-o: =
that Vas sent to . North Carolinian. The
letter, which looks like . special type-writ-
ten communication, but which really Is .
printed circular, informs Mr.. Green that
Wilson desires to obtain 50 good. shrewd
agent" in his locality. 1.-THE enclosure
herewith, /" says Wilson, ''gives all the in
formation that could be desired, and ex.
plains itself" The enclosure is . slip
which purports to have been clipped from
New York newspaper. bat which really
was made especially tor Wilson Use. 1t
descants on the wonderful cleverness of
certain counteTfeits and contains not .
word of truth.
When the Carolinian had read this he
was convinced that Wilson'S counterfeit
was pretty good thing to have. Then he
read the rest of the letter, which told him
that il he wanted some of this remarkable
medicine for the cure Of the blues" he
must come to New York and meet him
personally. II only deal face to face with
my customers" says the boodler; "by
your coming on here you see what you are
buying and see who am dealing with. -
Then he goes on to tell Mr.. Green that he
will give him 5000 for $500; 5000 for
500; $40 600 for $3.50: $50 600 for 81 600. and
that he will allow an additional sum to
cover the expenses of Green's jour-
ney. After this he instructs Green
how TO proceed. Don't, as long
Is you live, ever write letter to me
until give you permission. If you do. it
viii be refused" Thus Wilson lodges the
Law relaiing TO the use of the mails for
swindIing. "If you wish 70 come on here
and see me" he continued, "send the fol-
loving telegram remember telegram only
will Be received) and simply say, Send in
siructions,' then sign your name as per
password and number given YOU" This
password and numDer were given on q
separate clip enclosed; Mr.. Green's pass
word was jackson 723.
After repeated cautions to follow instruc-
tons implicitly Wilson closes bis letter
| by telling his victim exactly how to con-
| duct himself in New York in order that he
| may not run afoul of some other conf.
| dence man and lose all his money before
Wilson can get hold of it. Don't
wear q broad-brimmed hat" he says
sthey are not worn in this section of
the country, consequently always attract
great attention. Wear Derby or black
| nat with q narrow brim. Now, don't for.
get this; it is important. Don't bring drafts
or checks; do business only for cash.
Don't enter into any conversation with
strangers; who knows but they are detec-
tives or thieves7 Te all individuals who
ask you questions simply say: You at.
tend to your own business and iii attend
| to mine Don't ask me 70 meet you any
where else except at the place mentioned in
the instructions. l won't" And, since
the success of Wilson's trick depends
largely on the receptacle in which The
..counterfeit" money is to leave his place,
he tells Green not to bring any baggage.
81 furnish Oil necessary receptacies for safe
conveyance OF the goods. and go he does.