Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-17


sends 81 and gets in return piece of pine
wood dipped in emery--value about half
a cent. One swindler a while ago offered
to credulous persons "a fine steel eng-av
ing of George Washington" for 81. In
acknowledgment of the cash he sent a
two-cent postage stamp. The Post Office
Department was not able to do anything
in this case because the perpetrator Of the
cheat had unquestionably performed the
letter of his agreement. A new kind of
quasi-fraud has recently engaged the at
tention OF the department. So-called pub
llshlng companies circulate advertisements
In which they offer a prize, usually $40 to
anybody who sends in correct guesses
OF certain Skeleton words" These words
are partly spelled. some of the letters re-
naming to be supplied. They are so simple
that any one who knows how to read cal
do them at a glance. 1t is explained that
every person who finds out one or more of
the words will receive a proportionate sum
of money.
In due time every guesscr is informed
that he or she Is winner But
here comes in the inevitable requirement
one dollar must be sent to the publishing
concern, as years subscription to a
periodical, before the prize Is PAYABLE
Having obtained the 81. the firm discovers
that there was mistake, and the puzzle
which is so arranged that the skeletons
Will lit more than one set of words was
not guessed correctly after ALL Neyerthe-
less, IT Is disposed to be liberal and the
subscription goes just the same. The
periodical of course is worthless
Mean and Petty SwindIes,
The Post Office Department only the
other day shut up the business of an al
legged publishing company in New Orleans.
which distributed circulars among school
teachers all over the country Offering a
set of Dickens works for ST. Its practice
was simply to gobble the dollar and re-
There is another dodge Of superior ingenu-
ity which consists in advertising 20 give
away check for 500 with every two, or
II may be three, watches purchased lte
check is good enough probably, but is made
payable only after the bu.'cr nas ,..u 4.
sufhcient number of watches to me- 500 IN
profits for the manufacturing iirm Inas-
much as the firm keeps it's Jwl books 1t
need not pay the 800 until IL geUs ready
1t Will be observed that these swinlies
prosecuted through the mails are all ~ the
meanejt possible character Most of them
are intended to victimiZe poor people OF
such nature are the offers OF bogus pat
ent attorneys, who get money out of in
ventors by pretending to be able to pace
the latter in communication with Capital
lists disposed to furnish cash Tor putting
their contrlvances on the market. Other
cheats advertise so-called endowment.
concerns, which endow nobody but the
managers though the prospects are ever
SO alluringly set forth on paper. There are
tne pTSlenuel uetectlVe agencies, Which
wiring small amounts from unsoUhiStlcuted
young men by making believe to employ
their services as Representatives. in enc
part OF the country or another but never
giving any work to do. Sufficiently ia
miliar are the sharDers who offer craven
portraits free, subsequently demanding
large prices for cheap frames to inclose
the worthless pictures. VALUABLE time
keepers purchased by rural pumpkins turn
out to be sun dials. OF course, nobody has
any sympathy for the people lefr1udai by
the green-goods game; they deserve all
they get
One of the most remarkable swindles ever
heard OF was set on foot recently by the
establishment of more than score of
small post offices In South Carolina. The
chlef conspirator was quite prominent
man In that part of the country, named
Barrett, and it was by his influence that
the department was persuaded to create
the offices. appointing postmasters men
whom he selected. The whole business was
fictitious. the localities chosen being unin-
habited. Nevertheless, the postmasters
were able to procure large quantities of
goods. paying for some Of them with post
age stamps furnished by Uncle Sam and
accounts at Washington, they rendered
false aiiidavits as to cancellations. The
fraud was exposed by an inspector who.
travelling through that region, quickly
found out what was going on.
Postmasters in small places are often
called on by Congressman and politicians
to furnish lists of names of those persons
in their bailiwicks who are likely to be in
fuenced with reference to voting by Judi
ciously-selected partisan literature. This is
an abuse which the civil service commission
is most anxious to put a stop to- OF course
the postmasters represent whichever party
may be in power at Washington, and II Is
unquestonably a fact that they have fire.
quently been employed to propagate politi-
cal doctrine. They have been accused of
discriminating against opposition docu-
ments in tho mails. However, 1t cannot
be denied that they are far more sinned
against than SHINING. being commonly en-
ployed as innocent agents for the, prosecu-
ton of frauds in which they have no share
or profit. RENE BACHE.