The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-08-07
4 BIG SWINDLE EXPOSED
HARVEST REAPED. ny THE HOME
FAscINATOR COMPANY"

rostoface AuthoritteK step in and Put
~ Veto ON a CaDadian scheme Which
! Has Defrauded Many Americans.
| WASHINGTON. Aug. 4.-The officers con.
necred with the assistant attorney gener-
ais office Of the postoffice department have
succeeded, it is believed, in rendering abor-
tive the attempts of the Home Fcscinator
company OF Montreal, to victimixe many
credulous Americans. This concern, it ia
stated, publishes monthly journal called
The Home Fascinator, alleged to be de-
Voted to useful knowledge, romance, ETC.,
etc. The "etc. seemed to cover the greater
part OF the paper, and consisted of an ad-
vertisement of four prizes to be awarded
to persons sending in the lorgest correct
list Of English words of not less than four
letters, constructed from the letters con-
tanned in the words "The Worlds Fair"
each competitor to send with his list the
sum OF 81, the subscription price of the
paper
An enormous circulation has been ac-
quireds throughout the United States upon
the basis Of this offer Prizes were ad-
vertised to be awarded on June IS, 1891,
the first prize, consisting Of $1,000 in gold,
the second prize, grand piano, valued at
s4Q0, and the fourth prize, sewing ma
chine, estimated at s65. As to the third
prize, consisting of s'silver tea set, gold
lined and valued at $780," the clever and
unique plan was adopted Of awarding it to
thousands of persons, as is indicated by
thesreceipt Of the following printed notice,
which was sent through the United
States mails to the subscribers of the paper
throughout the country:
OFFICE OF THE HONE FAscINAToR; %,
Il MONTREAL. Canada July 20, 1891.
DEAR MADAM-With pleasure we inform
you that you are one of the successful COM
petitors in the Worlds Fair" word contest,
and that you have been awarded an elaborate
silver tea set, gold lined. The cost of boxing,
packing and shipping is $3.50. which amount
kindly remit us by registered letter, postoff1ce
order or express money order and we will in
struct our United States agency to ship the
prize to you. To avoid mistakes you will
oblige US by returning this letter with your
full address written plainly in ink on the lines
beleAs.
Congratulating you, we remain faithfully,
THE HOME FAsCINAToR PUBLISHING Co. n
FcA We aAk you Us q Favor to show this
beautiful prize to your friends, and at the
cinator.
Public Nibbled Freely.
These circulars asking for remittance
of a.. 80 to pay for packing and shipping
the prize, it is stated, have been freely dis
tributed throughout Kentucky, Missouri,
Iowa and Pennsylvania so far as advices
have been received. In one small town in
Missouri six persons were notified that
each one had been awarded this silver tea
set and six money orders, amounting to
A.N each, were promptly forwarded to
the Home Fascinator company at Mon
treal. Canada has no statute authorizing
the stoppage of the payment of money
orders or the delivery of registered letters
addressed to a person working fraud
through the mails. The postmaster gen.
eral of this country cannot prevent the
Of money order or the mailing
of a registered letter, so it looked as if the
scheme would work, with no power to pre-
vent the complete success of the swindle.
The return of the circular letter destroyed
all written evidence of advice from the
Fascinator company to the victim.
The department seemed powerless to act
and avert the contamination of a great
wrong, carried on through its own mails,
until 1t was suggested that all American
terminal postoffices, designated as exchange
offices with Canada, should be treated as
offices OF destination, and the postmasters
thereat instructed by wire to refuse to
certify money orders or forward registered
letters, payable and directed to The Home
Fascinator company, Montreal but to re-
turn the same to the offices of origin
marked fraudulent
1t is expected that many thousands of
letters containing money will thus be re-
stored to the writer's.