The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-08-20
GOT THE MONEY,
And the Ladies Mourneth Because
Their Magazines Cometh Not.
A Probable Sharper Who Played a
Very Sharp and Profitable Trick.

very sharp anu FToItdUiS HIM.
Along in the early days of June
last. the weather was hot enough
to cook eggs if left anywhere in the
sun, there appeared in Mankato a
young man signing his name as j.
Cramer, who had met with the mis-
fortune of losing one of his legs above
the knee, and hence was obliged to
make his way around about the world
on crutches. He was slender, pale
looking fellow, with an appearance as
though he might be overcome by the
excessive heat at most any time, and
this together with his misfortune was
calculated to excite more or less
sympathy for him.
While in this city, which was prob
ably only for two or three days, he
was engaged in canvassing for some
magazines. He stated that because
of his misfortune, his lot in life was a
hard one, as he was incapacitated for
many kinds Of work. He wanted to
fit himself for a business life, and said
he had been offered scholarship in a
Minneapolis business college, in pay
ment for securing 1000 subscriptions
to the magazines he had, and this
would give him chance to tit him
self for line of work whereby he
could earn a living. The magazines
he represented were, Munsey, Ladies'
Home Journal, Mcclure, and Dem
crest. He would give any two OF
these for $1.75 per year, or any three
for So so. This combination was for
new subscribers or the extension Of
old subscriptions. just how many
subscriptions he received is not
known, but from what has already
come to light he evidently took quite
a large number. The new subscrip-
tions were to commence with the
July number, but so far not maya
zine ordered from him has been re.
ceived. He stated that they would
be received promptly the first of the
month, but they were not. The
ladies who subscribed thought little
of it at first, as being new subscrip'
tions reasoned that there might be
some little delay on this account. But
July slipped away and the first days Of
August also. Magazines ordered
from other sources came promptly tC
hand, but those of J. Cramer came
not. Then the ladies began to sus
picion that something was wrong
They commenced TO inquire to see il
there were others who had placed con
fidence, and magazine orders ii
Cramer, And finding there were
they commenced to compare notes
and then they found several curious
things. This led the wife of promi
nent business man, who had taken ad'
vantage of the $3.50 combination tC
write to the publishers of one of the
magazines she subscribed for. They
replied that they knew nothing of ],
Cramer, had no such solicitor in the
field, had received no subscriptions
from him, nor was her name on their
list, or had been received by them
the past summer.
ETo the lady the said J. Cramer
stated that he resided at St. James,
this state, and that he lost his leg in
an accident on the Omaha road. Two
or three blocks distant he told another
lady that he lived near Garden City,
and lost his leg in a threshing ma
chine, A prominent resident of that
place says he knows no such person
living in that vicinity. A letter ad-
dressed to him at St. James was re-
turned unclaimed.
One peculiar thing about him was
that he did not visit the business por-
tion of the city. One lady told him
she would consider the matter and let
him know the next day. On mention
ing it to her husband, she was told to
send him to his office, but Mr.. Cramer
said that he did not like to visit
offices.
He gave receipts for the subscrip-
tions. The one shown the FREE
PRESS was numbered "429," which
was the portion of the $1,000 SUBJ
scriptions he said he had received at
that time. The least that can be
said of him is that he has been very
careless in forwarding his subscrip-
tions to the publishers.