The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-05
A GREEN GOODS GAME
New York Sharpers Flooding This
Vicinity with Their Circulars.
Claiming to Have Genuine Duplicates of
Government Notes.-The Circu-
lar Given in Full.

The green goods men have lost none Of
their old-tinne activity, and are in the mar
ket for customers every day. "A large num-
Der of circulars from them have been re-
Gently received in Indianapolis. The bust
ness is evidently as profitable as ever, and
many a person whose cupidity is aroused
by the smooth" circulars sent out from
New York goes up against the brace"
game, only to find himself possessed of
several packages of paper, instead OF coun-
terfeit bank bills, which he supposed he
was buying. The crafty men who make
business of duping credulous victims in
this way never fail to show rolls of good
money, a sample Of which they permit
their victim to examine, so as TO convince
him of the excellence of the counterfeit"
He buys as many packages as he has
funds to invest, and the substitution of
bundles of paper is done so cleverly that
he fails to detect it. His eyes have APP
parenty never lost sight of the original
packages, but it is another case of shell
game" and he gets. the worthless wads
which have been so skillfuily substituted
He carries them away with him, and
learns when too late that in his desire to
enrich himself dishonesty he has received
nothing but experience for his investment,
and very high-priced experience at that.
Occasionally, for safety, he expresses his
supposed fortune home, only TO find upon his
arrival that he has sent himself blank
paper. There are thousands of people who
believe in this rgreen goods scheme, ana
whose investments never come to nSht
1t Is next TO impossible TO make them pc
leve that these confidence" men have no
counterfeit money TO sell, and that what
they see is genuine money used over ana
over again to induce victims to purchase.
A few days ago one OF the plauSiDly-
worded communications which the green
goods operators send out was received by
j. Frankie, of this city. 1t was originally
sent from New York to him at 80 South
Fifteenth street, Richmond, Ind, and for
warded TO him here, addressed 10 o. East
Washington street. With it IS inclosed a
clipping from some country newspaper of
special dispatch" from washington,
which Celebrates upon the alleged loss by
dollars paid out for the redemption of
duplicate coupons greenbacks and silver
certificates which are, In the article sala
from the treasury with the aid of some al
legged high official" A column OF this
fairy story helps the green goods prop
osition out amazingly with the proposed
victims, whose eyes bulge out as they
greedily. drink in the details OF now mil !.
lions of dollars or duplicate money is
stacked up in New York. being sold like
cord-wood by their fortunate correspond
ents. The last paragraph of this starting
ut has puzzled them (the detectives) not
a little to ascertain why they are offered so
cheap, as they are certainly as vaiuaple as
the genuine, and the only conclusion they
can reach is that the parties in New YORK
do not want any excitement by using them
in the same city they make S Iheir 81 ht 10
well-known fact there are thousands OF them
in circulation IN New York city, passing
from hand to hand through our best Judges
of money, men in all kinds of business, and
they cannot dett CT them.
THE CON MANS LETTER.
The communication itself is so printed as
to represent a typewriter letter, and ex-
plains itself fully, as follows:
(Confidential)
Dear Sir-Excuse the liberty I have
taken in addressing these lines TO you. but
L do il i'm good faith, and IL L nave mace
a mistake all L ask is TO remember that
l meant TO aid you financially and To m
trCduce my goods in your vicinity. | could
just as easily have written to others in
your town, but for good reasons easily eA-
planned when we meet, give you this OPP
done wrong, then please let matters drop
ard forget everything except that | have
endeavored to be. your. friend, Inclosed
md newspaper clipping which explains
itself. l have very superior article OF
the kind. In fact, the best ever put on
the market. The sizes run from to 20
l warrant each and every note to be per-
feet, and after they have been made 10
look old there is absolutely no risk IN
handling them, as 1 defy any bank clerk
or expert to detect them Remember, this
is an article that will pass anywhere. the
profits being from ten to twelve hundred
per cent, according to the amount you
buy Now my friend, to transact this busl-
ness successfully you will have 10 come
the only way L will do business on our
first deal after we have become better ac-
duainted, then we will arrange matters 80
manner to you, but on our first deal | in
sist on seeing the kind OF man VINO IS 10
handle my goods and there are secrets IN
the business that l will not reveal except
by word OF mouth" When you come here
you will find me fair, square man, as
l will show you my entire stock, submit
them to any test YOU see lit, then Wnen
everything is satisfactory to you, and
session, then you can pay me and carry
them home with you. DO not ask me to
send any goods by mail express, as it
is not safe for either of US, for a business
of this kind must be conducted in care
at once, for this business cannot last for
ever, and l must get an agent III eacn
State while 1t lasts; therefore If you in
tend to be my agent come on at once,
and you will have clear field TO work
in, and you will make more money than
ever before II you nave not the money
to take a partner; providing, or course,
that he can be trusted; There are people
around you, possibly right in your town,
who have suddenly become rich without any
apparent cause for their sudden prosperity,
and still would imagine that they
might have engaged in a similar business
to the one | am speaking of to You at
present; therefore, l advise you to take
cannot possibly fail, with such perfect
goods. / will fully allow for all your trav-
cling expenses when we meet, and If you
do not find everything as l repres anted,
and if the goods are not exactly what
say, then / will forfeit 500 in gold, which
will pay for your loss of time, but L am
absolutely positive that you will be sat
isfied, as L have never had one single com