The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-01

liver to them matter directed to a number
which had no existence. while in other in
stances they have suborned small post
masters. As quickly as delivery to one
name Is forbidden by the authorities.
another name is adopted for fresh batch
OF circulars. But, when the government
taxes us steps so quickly there is little
cnance TO obtain any returns. and so the
post mas been abandoned almost entirely
as a medium Tor the prosecution of this
f Emu VI fraud: An ingenious scheme
formerly adopted was to offer to send
samples of the counterfeit money TO
purchasers, who would inclose IS or so
anu get IN return some brand-new
oiiis, real ones. fresh from the treas
ury. The customer. finding these so
eAceient and so readily negotiable, would
NC in1uced TO invest largely. Funnily
enough, py captures of mali in the manner
above described, Uncle Sam has ACQUIRED
q good many thousands of dollars from
time TO time, the writer's of the letters con-
tanning the enclosures being usually i'm
possible to identify. AT present the green
goodssmen obiige their correspondents to
. .plne 70 New York. or to some town in
mat vicinity, 70 conduct negotiations with
the result SO frequently reported in the
newspapers. The postoffice department is
now ABOUT to take further step by enter
ing CRIMINAL actions against individuals
VINO Try TO buy green-goods. 1t secured a
cohvlction IN such case in Baltimore the
otner day. upon which it will proceed.
there are many other frauds which the
department. Is at present making urgent
EFFORTS to suppress. One of these has been
carried on extensively of late in Kansas
particularly, being conducted by dishonest
insurance concerns calling themselves
endowment associations" 1t is quite a
new species of swindle. Those engaged IN
~, Delng duly incorporated. sell so-called
each. Purchasers are required to nav
small regular premiums, the agreement be-
ing that any failure TO paw shall involve
forfeiture by the holder of his Certificate
and OF all moneys already paid in. The
certihcates are arranged to fall due at
stated Intervals In the order in which they
are numbered, and the scheme is remark
ably attractive on paper. Certificate No.
Is lquldated out OF the first premiums
winch come in, and so on numerically. 1t
Is always arranged, however, that the first
ten certificates are held by officers of the
company, the president having No. /, the
wee president No. 2. and SO forth. By
the time these have been paid, if not
sooner, the concern goes to smash, and
the outsiders are left out in the cold Adj
vertisements OF such enterprises circulated
through the mails are being utilized as
grounds for prosecutions.
swindle against which the postoffice
Is well nigh powerless is worked by al
legged attorneys in England and elsewhere
who advertise for heirs to mythical estates
They mail their circulars to all parts of
this country, sending them incidentally to
small postoffices, with requests that they
be tackled up in conspicuous place. The
documents sent out in this way notify the
people in general terms that large sums
are due to persons who are be-
lieved to reside in that neighborhood
wherever it may be. Naturally, many re-
responses are sent, and, the advertise
ments being placed before the eyes of every
rural community, the aggregate number
OF answers is enormous. Snch persons as
reply, in the hope that they may be enti-
tied to the fortunes referred to, receive
assurances to the effect that they are hap
PLY not mistaken. But. before their
claims can be acted upon, they are re-
quired to pay $25 for preliminary expenses.
Although for this sum it is guaranteed
that they will obtain what is due them,
further demands follow and continue as
long as their purses and credulity will
stand the strain. The number of victims
secured in this way is said to be astonish-
ing, the profits to the swindlers being in
proportion. Inasmuch as the circulars
and letters are mailed out of this country,
it is impossible for this government to re-
strain the business.
Land swindles have engaged the atten-
late. Those who operate them distribute
circulars through the mails. advertising
valuable lots for sale at small prices in
districts where real estate is on the lump
to such an extent that the purchaser can
count upon making fortune by small
investment These tracts are usually
situated in Florida or California, and they
are mostly to be disposed of on the install
ment plan. Sometimes they are offered
for the mere cost of registering the prop
erty, the negotiator absorbing the fees
This is not surprising, inasmuch as good
deal of the land thus put upon the mar
ket has proved to be rugged mountain
wilderness or covered with water. For
almost nothing the thrifty Spectator is
able to secure half a dozen acres of such
territory, which, cut up into house lots
afford an excellent profit at trifling rates
per square foot. The postoffice finds out
about frauds of this description by send
ing its inspectors to gaze upon the locali-
ties.
Numerous bogus detective agencies have
been organized for business during the
last two or three years, especially in Ten
nessee, Illinois and New York. They send
letters to young men in small towns and
villages. the usual method being for such
a concern TO say that it is regularly in
corporated under the laws of the state"
which is very likely true enough, and that
it ''desires to secure a representative" in
the district where the person addressed
happens to reside. If the latter would like
to accept the appointment, commission
and badge will be forwarded. It will be
necessary for him, as a preliminary, to
send So as a fee. The victim incloses the
money. receives commission duly made
out and a brass badge worth about 10 cents,
and never hears anything more from the
company. Another game is worked by
pretended patent agents in different
parts of the country, who procure
from the weekly publication of the
patent office at Washington City the
names of thousands of inventors to whom
patents have been newly granted. They
write to these inventors saying that they
are in communication with capitalists who
desire to purchase certain rights in the
patents. Big money is in prospect. and
only $50 will be required for the expense
of conducting the affair. Later on 500
more is demanded, and so on as long as
the poor inventor will respond.
One feature that seems TO characterize
very strikingly nearly all of these swindles
conducted through the mails is their con-
temptible meanness. Most of them are
aimed at poor people. On the other hand,
sympathy does not go out 10 the victims
of the green goods enterprise. who want TO
buy counterfeit money for the purpose of
passing it off on their neighbors.
Nor is anybody inclined to weep
for the stupid persons who are
taken in by such a fraud as the
Matrimonial Bureau, exposed not long
ago in San Francisco. 1t issued circulars
in behalf of a lady of wealth, embarrassed
by an infant not properly accounted for
on the paternal side, who desired TO
share considerable fortune with any
good and honorable man willing to give
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