Milford chronicle., 1892-05-20
AegNrg 81 MYIAIoAL ooNeeaNa.



swihdied Country People.
"A merchant connected with a large dry
eoa-s hgh Of this city brought to The
Tribune yesterday the following letter
which NE had received from a friend in
Lewisbqrg, Pa;
DEArA: Inoiosed send you a receipt for
nre8 dolIhGs. which ono OF our worthy dress
majors gsXo an agent ia February last for O
snrscriutiouNto a Fashion Inagazinem which
has never cone to hand, and probably never
viii This y one of several subscriptions
taken and paid for in our town, and If it is q
swindle ] think the parties should be exposed
Knowing -four adherence Of anything that Ii
mean. asid believing this to be one OF the most
cruel swindles that was ever perpetrated upon
a fsonhding and hard working class, I now
write to ask you if you will do us the favor ia
(call 40 40 Broadway and investigate the
matter and if you find It is sake" / think
the world at large should be apprised Of the
scheme through one or more Of your metropol-
itan papers, and am quite sure The Tribune
would be glad to expose the same.
The receipt, which was a printed blank
filed out in the usual form, was dated
Lewisburg, Pa. Feb. 6, 1892, and stated
that the "New York and London Subscrip-
ton Agency, Office $50 broadway, n. Y, -
had received three dollars from ~ "for
lie Journal Des Modes and Lacouturiere,
with Books Nos. and Q" The receipt
was signed by u. B. Allison, Agent"
This form of swindling is one that is
more frequently called to the attention Of
the postal authorities than any other, not
excepting the complaints from the multi
tudinous victims of the Industrious 'green
goods men. The address given, 40
Broadway, is the "Old London Street, OPP
posite the New York hotel That familiar
and antique bit Of Broadway architecture
has been closed and empty for three years
OF course nothing was known there of any
such concern as the New York and Lon
Con Subscription Agency"
"Pennsylvania and the southern and
western states swarm with these swim
dlers," said an official of the postofiice yes
terday to Tribune reporter, "They rep
resent themselves to be agents for New
York concerns, dry goods houses, publish.
ing houses, etc. Needless to say these con.
Germs are mythical The swindlers are
amply provided with printed blanks to aid
them in deceiving people They will take
a subscription for a publication, as was
done in the case of the Lewisburg dress
maker, or will sell bill Of goods amount
ing to hundreds Of dollars to a country
merchant They will ask to have a check
cashed or for ten dollars advance on the
order, and usually get what they are after.
After staying a week in one town and
working it, the swindler moves on to an
other field. Their dupes, after waiting q
reasonable time and not getting what they
had paid for, write TO the New York con
Germ. These letters are sent by us to TIA,
Dead Letter Office in Washington, Endorsed
Not found Before the victims hear from
Washington they generally write to this
office wanting to know why their letters
are not delivered. These poor people bur
den the mails in vain"
SIS it not possible to catch the rascalsP
"It is next to impossible, for they change
their stationery, their New York addresses
and are continually on the move them
selves. One fellow was arrested recently
in Williamsport, Pa, for selling paints
etc, and taking money as the agent of the
American White Lead company, a fcti
tious concern. He gave the New York ad
dress as a box in this postofiice went tt
Williamsport and testified against him.
He was sentenced to eleven months in the
penitentiary and to pay the costs of court.
When Lycoming county is through with
him there will be fifteen other counties in |
Pennsylvania ready to seize him for SINH
lar offenses. One of the mythical concerns !
worked by one of the swindlers was Hill. |
ton, Day & Co., dry goods, who were sup
posed to be at Broadway and Canal street |
Hosts of people were swindled on this |
alleged firm, which the victims were made |
to believe eX-Judge Hilton was a member /
of. James D. Johnston s. Co. is another |
myth. But the cruelest work of the |
scamps is when they obtain photographs. |
the only likeness Of some de |
ceased member OF family, on the pretense |
of sending it to New York city to be en-
larged into a crayon They take a small |
sum as part payment, go away with tn, /
picture and are not heard of afterwards |
New York Tribune.