The morning call., 1893-12-06
AN OLD SWINDLE.
Operators Introduce
Sharp Game.
An Advertising Scheme Which Has
Been Successfully Tried in East.
ern Cities Tried Here.

An advertising dodge which has been
worked in the East until 1t is threadbare
has recently been introduced On the Pacific
Coast and utilized by sharp solicitors to
their advantage and the expense Of their
employers.
The scheme, in brief, is to form a COM
pany, have it regularly incorporated under
State laws and open an office. One or
more of the directors are advertising So
licitors. As soon as the concern is regularly
established the solicitor-director seeks en-
pIoyment from some advertising agency or
newspaper. He arraDges to work on COM
mission. but expects to receive 20 per cent
down on the amount of his contracts. with
the prOviso that the contracts as signed
prove TO be bona ide.
The first business he brings in is a con-
tract for perhaps 500 advertising with the
company he has formed. The advertise ng
agency inquiries at the Office of the CON-
pany and learns that the contract sigma
ture is bona fide. The solicitor is paid $50
and departs. He may work duplicate
contract on dozen or more agencies in
the city, reaps a cash payment from each
and departs for new fields before his de-
lection.
/: costs only IS as incorporation fees for
new company. Desk room to serve as
an office can be procured al nominal rates.
The expenses are slight compared with the
profits in the enterprise. To enlarge the
scope of operations, perhaps the solicitor
organizes several companies, procuring ad-
vertlSlng contracts from each. Having
gathered In half dozen commissions from
each OF number of advertising firms, he
has reaned an abundant harvest.
The firm OF Harvey, Allen & Witcher
believe they have run against such an
operator, VINO works under a variety of
appellations. A short time ago man
sought employ ment for their souvenir as an
advertising solicitor, giving his name as j.
5. Edwards, and representing himself as
an extraordinarily proficient advertising
man. He was engaged, and within an
hour brought in 500 contract for a COM
pany, the name of which was not contained
in the directory. The manager who signed
the contract admitted its genuineness, and
Edwards. who volunteered TO examine the
incorporation papers, brought in list of
the directors, among whom was the name
j. S. Bills.
About the same time Charles Boldeman,
another advertising agent. consulted a
mem bsr of the firm of Harvey, Allen &
Witcher regarding the reliability OF a
company which had signed contract with
him. The name of the company was the
same as that sent in 10 the aforementioned
agency. Noticing this. Mr.. Witcher asked
BOldeman the name of the solicitor. he
was informed it was j. S. Bills. who is
one of the incorpOrators of the company.
Convinced that something was wrong,
Witcher and BOldeman arranged to cor
ner the operator. The former caught him
first and said: "By the way. what did you
say your name wasp"
-. S. Edwards" was the reply.
A minute later BOldeman met Edw ards
and propounded a similar query.
-. 5. Bills" said Edwards promptly,
but when he turned and saw that Witcher
had followed him. he promptly fed, and
las not been seen at the Office Of either
agency since.
Several of the leading newspapers in
New York were recently swindled on simi-
lar propositions.
Deeming the present particularly fer
tile season for such projects, it is pre-
sumed that some of these maBipulators
have transferred the scene OF their opera
tiOnS to this city.