Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-10-31
SWINDIING BY MAIL.
DISHONEST SCHEMES WHICH KEEP
PosToFFicE MEN BUSY.

DISHONEST SCHEMES WHICH KEEP
PosToFFicE MEN BUSY.
How "Green Goods" Men Evado Being
Prosseuted-strange Ways That Some
Of the Projects Arc Discoyered--A Few
Of the Common Methods Employed.
The United States government is an I'M.
whiting party to many a swindling scheme
Of which the public never hear, for the
mails are used By many rascals with many
plans to exchange experience for money.
The 30 called green goods" men form the
bulk, perhaps, Of those who use the mails
to deceive. The number Of these rascals is
considerable, and each of them has a dozen
aliases. As soon ms the postal authorities
learn that certain address Is that of a
green goods" man, they no longer deliver
letters to 1t. but in many cases the knowl-
edge comes to them only after the swim
oilers have used the mails extensively.
From long contests with the United
States authorities. the men who pretend to
sell counterfeit money have become ex-
ceedingly shrewd and to catch one of them
and to fasten guilt upon him is u difficult
task. The victims always come from places
~ DoiliC ulStuuCC lTOfn JIltS ClLy, ana are
naturally loath to prosecute the rascals,
because to do SO they must admit that they
wanted to become parties to a swindle.
Occasionally letters reach the dead let
ter Office which tell the tale of a swindIe
planned but not carried out One of these
was received not long ago 1t was ad-
dressed to man at a hotel in the interior
OF this state, and contained a check for
seventy -five dollars and instructions to the
man, who purported to be the travelling
agent of Beaver street firm. The letter
was written on regular sheet, bearing
the printed name and address Of the firm,
and gave the agent minute directions IL
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-
parently sent. The scheme was this: A
well dressed man would arrive at Il hotel
and the next day letter would come fol
him. He would open this letter in the
presence Of the clerk or proprietor and take
check from it. The hotel man. on seeing
the letter and the envelope, would feel sat
isfied that the check was good. and would
cash it, retaining the few dollars due him
That same day the agent would leave the
place, and in day or two the hotel mar
would learn that the check was worthless
In the case of the letter of this kind which
reached the dead letter office the rasca
had no doubt failed to connect with the
missive sent to him by his confederate.
swindler with more ingenious anf
4
long ago. He sent letters to merchants IL
various places ordering goods, and signed
the name of large firm which is perfectly
respectable. The swindler, however, CAV,
a different address from the right one o
the firm, and made his scheme the NOR,
deceptive by having appropriate letter
heads printed. The merchants who re
ceived his orders would look up the firm il
the book of a mercantile agency and find i
marked "Al, from 100000 to $50, OO0.
The book gives no addresses, hence i
would naturally be supposed that that o
the swndler is the one of the real house.
| Ordinarily the merchants would sent
the goods to the address of the swindler
who would sell them and disappear befor
the notes he gave in payment fell due. Ii
| this case however, the man had Il litti
misunderstanding with the postal authori
ties.
| DETECTING RASCALS.
Assistant Postmaster James Gayler
whose years of service as a postoffice in
spector have made him quick to detect
swindling scheme. demanded some ex
PLANTATION from the fellow. Without wait
ing to tell how his firm happened to hav
the same name as that of the one witt
which Mr.. Gayler was familiar, the rasca
quietly skipped away and forfeited the re
plies to his letters The merchants wer
thus saved the loss that would have other
| wise resulted.
A game with which Mr. Gayler is famil
lar from his long and varied experience i
that Of the man who says in his letter. ''
inclose five dollars" and then forwards tn
missive without putting the money into i,
The fellows letter arrives without the IL
closure, and then vigorous complains i
made to the postal authorities. Sometime
it is impossible to prove whether the none
was placed in the letter or not, hut occs
sionally the ingenuity of postoffice il
spector lays the scheme bare.
Mr.. Gayler has discounted not fe,
men who were loud in their denunciatio
of the mail service, among the cases bein
that of soldier in the rebellion. He ha
lost his pay by gambling, instead of sent
ing it to his wife. He boldly however
wrote to her, saying that he inclosed eight
dollars in the letter. The page was smeare
with mucilage, but the envelope containe
no money.
The wife made complaint to the pos
office authorities, and Mr.. Gayler was il
structed to look up the case. He did S,
and happened to call on the woman whe
her husband was at home on furlougl
The man was positive that he had put til
money in the envelope.
"In what denomination were the billsi
Mr.. Gayler asked him.
"There were two forty dollar bills" al
swered the soldier.
Are you suref"
Eyes, certain" said the man, and NJ
Gayler spent no more time on the case, {:
cept to offer the soldier fifty dollars #
every forty dollar bill he could ind.-Ne
York Tribune.
N I-I,