The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-06
swrNDLrNG THROUGH THE MAILS.

Readers of the Journal may have noticed
in it's news columns a statement that the
Postoffice Department has prohibited the
circulation of papers containing advertise
ments of so-called missing word and
missing letter. puzzles, but they probably
know very little as to the character of the
swindle and still less of its extent. In fact
the devices for swindling the public through
the mails are so numerous and varied as
almost to suggest that the American people
are composed largely of knaves and FOOLS
swindlers and dupes. The universal cesire
to get something for nothing, the get-rich-
quick mania, is at the bottom of it all. The
rascal wants to make money easily and rap
idly, and the dupe wants to buy gold dollars
for a cent apiece, so they make pair.
Many swindlers think they can use the
mails with impunity, while others know
there is risk, but are willing to take it.
There is law enough against the use of the
mails for swindling purposes, and the postal
authorities use great deal of vigilance in
its enforcement, yet in spite of their efforts
there is a good deal of that kind of swind-
ling DONE The one above referred to is of
come very extensive, having been adopted
by the publishers of a class of worthless
and trashy papers and periodicals to extend
their circulation. 1t consisted in offering
large prize, a valuable gold watch or
large sum in cash, for list of correct an
swers to a pretended puzzle" so plain on
it's face as to be readily solved by any m
telligent school boy or girl. BY the terms
of the advertisement every person sending
a solution of the puzzle must inclose
twenty-five cents for three months sub
scription to the publication, or in some
cases a sample copy, and If the solution is
pronounced correct by the awarding COM
mittee'' the sender will receive the capital
prize. A few sample words will show how
simple the so-called puzzles are L-n-l-n is
1.-The name of a President who was assas-
sinated." jpn is 1.-The name of distant
country" P-n-s-l-a-v is 1.-The name of one of
the United States and SO on. Another
publisher offers a prize for a correct reading
of eight popular proverbs in which one or
two words are left out. as "A stitch in -
saves nine;' It's long - that has no
---;'n "a friend in - is a friend - and
so on A prize of $500 in cash is offered to
the first person sending a correct answer
to these eight proverbs and prizes of from
s. to $50 each to other successful contes-
tants. One see that the puzzles almost
answer themselves. These advertisements
have been scattered broadcast throughout
the country. The December number of
magazine which calls itself respectable con-
tains no less than six different advertise
ments of this kind, each one offering a large
prize for "a correct answer to the puzzle
and recurring the answer to be accompanied
with twenty-five cents. No doubt the
trainers of these tempting offers reaped
quite a harvest before the postal authorities
discovered what was going on. Tons and
tons of their advertisements were sent out
through the mails, and no doubt hundreds
of thousands of gullible people have for
warded answers to the puzzles" inclosng
twenty-five cents and expecting to get any
where from 500 to $500 in return. The Post
office Department holds that these 'snide''
advertisements come under the law prohib-
iting the use of the mails to promote any
scheme or artifce to defraud or any enter
prise offering prizes dependent upon lot
or chance, or concerning schemes devised
for the purpose of obtaining money under
false pretenses." This will put end to
that particular form of swindling, but a new
one will spring up. Swindlers and dupes
we have with US always, and even the
United States government cannot altogether
prevent them from communicating through
the mails.
Immediately after the last presidential
election Republicans were pr3fuse and sin