The record-union., 1893-10-23
A wRTTE-UPn FRAUD.


A San Francisco morning paper reports
that Frederick a. Hunt is missing; that
he has left behind him in San Francisco,
Sacramento, Stockton and other places
numerous creditors. There is nothing
new or unusual in the fact that the fellow
is missing and has left mourning cred
itors; but the case of Frederick Hunt is
peculiar, and the journalists of the State,
as we'll as the people who are fond of
seeing their faces in print, should have
their attention called to this case.
Frederick a. Hunt came to San Fran
cisco some two years ago. He imme-
diately announced himself as an en-
ploye of the San Francisco Post, which
was published at that time by Heazleton
& Hirsch. The San Francisco Post was
to get out a special souvenir edition, and
Messrs. Heazleton & Hirsch loaned the
name of their paper to this man for that
purpose. The relation between Heazle-
ton, Hirsch and Hunt was a fraud 1t
was a trap in which to catch the unwary.
The first thing that Mr.. Hunt did was to
secure, in the name of the Post, free
transportation from the railroad. News
papers are accorded that courtesy, and
Hunt got behind the covers Of the Post
to get transportation for a fraudulent
purpose. Hunt then proceeded to solicit
advertising for the souvenir edition of
the Post. If he had gone boldly into the
community and solicited write-ups and
photographs and pay in advance for work
not yet done on his own responsibility.
the public would have inquired, Who is
this man? But as he was working for
the San Francisco Evening Post, and as
the Post was sufficiently well known to
raise the supposition at least that it would
not defraud its creditors, he was received
and money was paid to him in advance
for the publication of advertisements,
cuts, illustrations and portraits.
1t may be remarked in passing that the
most profitable business known to the
average solicitor is the portrait business.
Ninety-nine per cent. of all the portraits
that appear are paid for and represent the
vanity of men.
So Hunt, appealing to the vanity of a
number of people in San Francisco. solic-
tied their portraits charged them space,
and on the plea that he could not get up
cuts and have the engraving done on un-
certainty. secured advances. After play
ing at this game for nearly two years he
is now said to have skipped the town.
Now, what shall be said of the news
paper management which absolutely
loans its name to a scheme of this charac-
ter? The fact is that legally the Post is
responsible for the money the public
have lost in this way. Hunt held a GER
tifcate of the proprietors OF the Post that
he was soliciting for a souvenir edition OF
that paper, and the paper is legally liable
for the debts he contracted. If it was not,
then the paper itself under its old man
agement connived at a regular swindle.
II the publication was not a souvenir edi-
ton of the Post, the question arises, what
did that journal get by conferring upon
Mr.. Hunt the character of a represent
ative of the paper, thereby enabling
him to take money for work he never
intended to perform, at least so far as
present indications are concerned. If
there was a legitimate relation between
the proprietors of the Post and Hunt,
then they were guilty of collusion and a
swindle. The pretended relation was a
snare and fraud. On the other hand, if
it was not collusion, if it was not a
suare and fraud. then the paper is Ie-
gally liable for the money paid to it for
work it has not performed.
The public are interested in this matter.
It is the simplest thing in the world for
itinerant agents of metropolitan news
papers to obtain from thousand to five
thousand dollars in a city like Sacra-
mento, Stockton or San Jose. The write
up business in such publications as the
California illustrated Magazine are
worthless to any community, and vet
they are paid for at rates which indicate