Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-24
SWINDLTNG BY MAIL.
DISHONEST SCHEMES WHICH KEEP
POSTOFFlCE MEN BUSY.

of tho Projects Are Discovered--A Few
of the Common Methods Employed.
The United States government is an I'M
whiting party to many "A swmdliug scheme
Of which the public never hear for the
mails are used by many rascals with many
plans 20 exchange experience for money
The so called green goods men form the
bulk, perhaps, Of those who use the mails
20 deceive. The number Of these rascals is
considerable, and each Of them has dozen
aliases. As soon as the postal authorities
learn that a certain address is that Of a
green goods man, they no longer deliver
letters to it, but i'm many cases the knowl-
edge comes TO them only after the swim
dlers have used the mails extensively
From long contests with the United
States authorities. the men who pretend to
sell counterfeit money have become eN-
ceedingly shrewd and to catch one Of them
and to fasten guilt upon him is "A difficult
task. The victims always come from places
Mt some distance from this city, and are
naturally loath 90 prosecute the rascals,
because to do so they must admit that they
wanted to become parties to q sWindle.
Occasionally letters reach the dead let
ter office which tell the tale Of a swindle
planned but not carried out One of these
was received not long ago. It was ad-
dressed 10 "a man at % hotel in the interior
Of this state, aud contained a check for
sevgnty-Gvo dollars and instructions to the
man, who purportcd 70 be the travelling
agent of n Beaver street firm The letter
was written ON "a regular sheet, bearing
the printed name and address Of the firm,
and gave the agent minute directions to
guide him The envelope bore in the up
per left hand corner the name and address
Of the firm also
A SHARP PRACTICE.
Everything about the letter seemed reg
ular, but the missive reached the dead
letter Office because there existed no such
firm as the one by which the letter was ap-
parautly sent The scheme was this: A
well dressed man would arrive at a hotel
and the next day letter would come for !
him He would open this letter in the
presence Of the clerk or proprietor and take |
a check from IT, The hotel man, on seeing |
the letter and the envelope, would feel sat |.
isfel that the check was good, and would |
cash 60, retaining the few dollars due him. |
That same day the agent would leave the /
place, and iu "a day or two the hotel man |
would learn chat the check was worthless. |
In the case OF the letter Of this kind which |
reached the dead letter office the rascal .
had no doubt failed To- connect with the |
missiye sent 20 him 10y his confederate.
A swindlcr with % more ingenious and I
dangerous game N0urishcI I'm this city not .
long ago. Hn sent letters 60 merchants in
various places ordering goods and signed
the name Of % lgrEp Grim which is perfectly
respectable The swiudlur however, gave
a different address from the right one of
the .lrm, and made his scheme the more
deceptive by having appropriate letter
hcaus printed Tine merchants who re-
ceiyed his orders would l00I, mp the firm in
the book of "a mercantile agency and find il
marked "Al, from 3g0UO To- S3lO.Ul"
The u1us give, uo allrgS-a- hence 10
would naturally Doe supposed chat that Of
the su.uo'er is tine one of che real house.
Ordinarily. the merchants would send
The .O1ds OBJ tne address of the swmdI,r
who would sell. Them and disappear before
the notes he gave in payment teI due. On
this uasc, however, the man had little
misunderstanding with the postal autbori
ties
DETECTING EAsCNs.
Assistant Postmaster James Gaylpr
who.e years u' service as 90 plstolicc i'm.
spcc'or have made him quick To detect a
swiuIlin- scheme. demanded some OK.
PLANTATION from che fellow. Without wait
ing to tell how Dds .irm happened TO have
The ~tme name us thst ol Che one with
which Mr. Gay.gr WAS familiar. the rascal
quic.ly skipped away and forfeited the re
plies TO his letters The merchants were
thus saved the loss chat would have other
wise resulted
A game with which Mr.. Gaylcr is fanH-
lar from bis long and varied experience is
that OF the man who says In his letter. 81
iuclose i've dollars. and then forwards che
mis,Ive without putting the money into it.
The fellows lgttgr arrives without the in
closure, and then vigorous complaint is
made To ,Dy postal authorities Sometimes
IL Is impossible Co prove Vhc her the money
was placed iu the letter or noJ, but coca
sioually the ingenuity of a postoilice in
spcctor lays the scheme bare
Mr. Gayler has discounted not a few
mon who were loud iu their denunciation
OF the mail service, among the cascs being
that of a soldier iu the rebellion. Tie had
lost his pay hy gambling, instead Of send
ing it To his wife lie boldly, however
wrote 60 her, saying that he incloSed eighty
dollars I'm Che letter. The page was smcarcd
with mucllagc, hUt the envelope contained
no money.
The wife made % complaint 60 the post
Office authorities, and Mr. Gaylcr was in.
structcd To- look mp the casc lie did ~.
and happened 10 gall on the woman when
her husband was 90 home ON furlourh
The imam was positive that be had put the
money in the envelope
In what denomination were the bils"
Mr. Gayler asked him
There wen, two forty dollar bills" an.
swcrgl thc soldier
~Ar Yen surct"
"Ncs certain. said the man. and Mr.
Gayler spe1t mo- more time on the case. cx.
ccqt Co cIcr the soldier fifty dollars for
every t'sty dollar DIN be could fnd New
YORK Tribune.
ne welsh NIandaus
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