Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-11-12
WHAT "FRAUD ORDERS" ARE.
Many Swindling Devices Stopped by thu
PoAtma ster- General.


Postmaster General
Under certain acts of Congress the
postmaster-general is empowered to stop
the mail of any person or persons in the
United States, or under it's jurisdiction,
against whom evidence has been received
showing that the postoffice is being used
for the transmission of mail matter in
tended for the commission of a fraud
upon the general public, or for any other
illegal purpose. This stoppage of the
mail is done by means of an order di-
rected to the postmaster of Il certain
place or places where the fraud has it's
headquarters, or where it may be in OPP
Grafton. 1t is on a regular form with
blanks to be filed in specifying the per-
sons and rlaces of the parties whose mail
is to be stopped.
1t was BY virtue of this power invested
in him by Congress that the postmaster
general has been enabled to suppress the
Louisiana lottery, which is considered to-
day by the postal authorities to have
been one of the greatest frauds ever per-
petrated on the American public.
1t was also under this power that the
''green goods" frauds have been denied
the use of the mails, and the correspond
ence stopped when it's purport was found
out. Other minor frauds have been sup
pressed in the same manner, until 1T mas
become unprofitable, if not actually dan
gerous, for anyone to attempt the mail
ing of fraudulent circulars, even when
sealed and addressed in the regular way.
The following is the form of the order
as used in the case of the so-called Will
cox 4 Co., or A. IL; wilcox, OF 90
Broadway, whose mails have been for
hidden transmission through the postof-
fee:
1t having been made to appear to the post
master-general, upon evidence satisfactory
;,,o 1nof intr q
Obtaining money through the mails by
means of false and fraudulent pretenses,
and promises IN vlpiatl ct f fd
amend certain sections or the revised stat
utes relating to lotteries, and for other pur-
poses approved September -, ls9G' IN him
by said act, and by the act OF Congress en-
titled "An act for the suppression of lot
terry traffic through international ana inter
ject to the jurisdiction and laws OF tne
United States,' approved March ?, 1898, the
acknowledgement hereby forbids you to
pay any postal money order drawn to the
order Of said parties, and you are hereby
directed to inform the remitter of any such
has been forbidden, and that the amount
thereof will be returned upon the presenta
| ton of a duplicate money order applied fol
and obtained under the regulations OF the
department.
And you are hereby instructed to return
all letters, whether registered or not, and
other mall matter WHICH Sll;lll arrive dl youi
| office, directed to the said parties. to the
postmasters at the postotfices at which they
were originally mailed, to be delivered tc
the senders thereof with the word ''fraudu-
lent plainly written or stamped upon the
outside of such letters or matter. Provided,
however, that where there is nothing to IN
| dictate who are the senders of letters not
registered, or other matter, you are directed
| in that case to send such letters or matter
| to the Dead Letter office, with the word
| fraudulent plainly written or stamped
| thereon, to be disposed Of as other dead mat
! ter under the laws and regulations applica-
| BILE thereto.
PnstmaSier-Gen eral.