The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-30
THROUGH NAILS.
Some Of the Ingenious Methods Of
Getting Hold Of Others
Money.
The Fruit Man, and How He
Works tho Smaller
Towns.
A Recipe for 'Stammerinx and Another
for Catching Fish. That Are Sent
for . Consideration.

A very ingenious swindls which ID beina
practicsd quite extensively has recently
come to the attention of the p~oatofi 90 in
spector's department here. A fruit COM
pany." which only exists on lstter-hsadings
and envelopes, will address . number Of
letters. dated. generally. New York or New
or New Orleans. to say. John Smith, ito
travelling agent at different places Of seldom
more than three or five thousand inhabi-
tants, in care Of the leading hotel, endorsed:
Hold until Smith calls" In due course Of
time Smith makes his appearances at n OF
the hotels. He ia a smooth, polite gentle
man, a good talker, and apparently full OF
business. He makes friends with every
body. and undoubtedly leads The proprietor
to believe that h. is an important member
of the profession, and ono whose good will
is to be desired. His mail 10 handed to
him; he opens il in tho office. One of the
letters is from his Arm. acknowledging the
receipt Of a number of orders, compliment
ing him on his success. and encouraging
him to renewed activity. His request for
funds il oheerfully complied with. and q
check, generally for about $50, drawn on
some we'll known New bank, is enclosed for
travelling expenses and salary.
The "latest quotations in tho fruit mar
ket" are also given for his guidance: Flor
ida oranges are quoted at from $1.75 to
g.. 80 per box, while the regular market
price, at the time one of the letters in ques-
ton is dated. was $500 and over a box;
lemons are quoted at $3.50 a box-reeular
quotation, $500; bananas $1.25 to $1.35 .
~bunch-regular quotation. $3.50 to $500,
and SO on. In an off-hand manner the let
ter is handed to the proprietor to examine
the ''quosstions," and Smith is also very
careful that he sees the check. The agent
dealers in the town, and he. generally.
meets with success, FOX his prices are very
low, and no payments are required until
after the goods are delivered.
The hotel man hears of these transactions
and his good opinion of Smith is
greatly strengthened. Business finished,
the agent is ready to leave, and calls for his
bill. He expresses his gratitude to the pro-
p~rietor for his kind treatment. and prom
ises to send his friends to his hotel. He ia
running short of money, and he asks ths
hotel keeper If he will cash the check no has
Just received from his house. There 10
seldom any objection, az it would be poor
policy to offend such a promising customer;
the amount of the bill is deducted. and
Smith receives the balance of his check in
good g%reenbacks. The check is placed with
a bank for collection, but before long il
returned with the information that the
Fruit Co." is not q depositor, and is MOI
never again heard of. Smith follows up
the letters sent out by his 'drm" to the
different places, and repeats the same oper-
alton. Sometimes he is scared off his
route, and the letters are returned to the
mailing office, in accordance with the card
-. 4~-~ 49, -A- L. L..
not visited. as "unclaimsd." The Fruit
Company" cannot be found at the place in
dicated on the envelope, or any where else
in the city, and in due course of time the
letters reach the dead letter office. Coca
s~ionally. if the agent thinks hs has an
easy victim, be will explain his financial
condition to the dealer from whom hs has
received an order, and will ask him to cash
his "frm's' check.
The frauds attempted by the use Of the
mails are almost ~innumberable. They con-
sist of schemes oonoocted to humbuR the
unsuspectinR public, and it seems the
greater the fraud the greater the returns to
tho swindler. Nearly all of these schemes
make use of advertisements published in
ewspapers a nd of circulars distributed
through the mails. Without these means
the public could not be reached, and for
this reason the law has been enacted pro-
hibiting the use OF the mails for fraudulent
purposes. Du5 IL ID 10 % DOEQ IN NINA
that unless complaints are made to the
postoffice department, these frauds are car
ried on without any knowledge of their OK
~is.ence, and no investigation can be had.
To give a few instances of these frauds.
A few years ago an Advertisement appeared
in the papers stating that for the sum of 81
a receipt would be given for the permanent
was sent the receipt was returned. which
simply read: keep your mouth shut"
Another instance Of this kind was where an
advertisement reoited that for so cents q
recipe would be given for catching all the
FISH in any given bod, Of water. When the 50
telling the victim ITO dip all the water out
and then pick up the FISH,"
Another form of fraud 10 psrpetrated by
means Of advertisements SO worded a. to
mislead the public. Persons answering
them think that for rs cents they are to
have Il watch or some other valuable arti-
ole, when in fact they merely got some illus
recently been carried on by certain persons
claiming to be commission merchants or
produce dealers. who send out their circu-
lars and price lists Offering prices higher
than the market. when in fact they have no
commission house. n probably only desk
room in shop or saloon; and the goods
shipped to them are received and sold 1T
any price o~btainable, no returns whatever
being made.
Sometime since appeared a very glowing
advertisement of a book. exclusively fol-
Dung, unmarried people, both gentlsms On
and ladies', the price of which was SIS. Fol
the s. a very cheap edition of the Bible
was sent. A fine timekesper. with the out
OF a watch. would be advertised for 81.
The sender would expect q watch in return
but he would get a sundial. Great frauds
have been carried on BY the proposed PUB.
LEGATION OF handsome illustrated books, FOL
which photographs OF prominent men wer.
solicited. 1t was added that to nave tn
necessary copper plates engraved woule
cost SIG. 70. A sut prisingly large number 70
sponded with photographs and money; blu
no books, Of course, wore published.