The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-10-26
GREEN GOODSMEN
y CRUSADE AGAINST RASCALS WHO
DEFRAUD CREDULOUS ONES.
POstOfiice Inspector King Gives .
Sample of the "COme On" Litera-
ture Which the Shrewd Dupes Use
for Luring Their Victims.

to crush this corporate rascality IL it takes
the combined efforts of. the best men in our
service for period Of 10 years. We are
thoroughly in earnest, and the green goods
men must go. For 20 years these scoundrels
have grown prosperous on the gullibility OF
the credulous, and although the newspapers
almost daily expose some Of their methods,
statistics show. no abatement in the army
of come one" from the rural distrists
says the New York Heraid.s This is the
statement of Postoffice Inspector John
Douglas King, who gave the following In
terview about the green goods business
In a recent report to the postofhce de-
partment, as one instance OF the thorough
ness of our methods to root out the evil,
We suggested to the department to order
posted in every postofice of the $4,000 or
more throughout the country a placaro
which shall call attention to the fact that
the penal code provides penalty Tor enter
ing into any correspondence with men who
use the mails with intention to defraud,
and that to answer a green goods circular
1t itself enough to make the onender liable
to the federal laws. Whereas people may
or may not read the newspapers, 1t is well
known that every farmer scans the walls
of his home postoffice for notices, and that
such a measure will be the means Of de-
terring thousands from entering into nego-
tiations with these clever rascals.
This is but one of the proposed precau-
tions.
In the first place do not believe that it
is necessary for me to explain that green
goods are packages of alleged counterfeit
money, claimed to be printed from govern
ment plates and 80 nearly like the original
as to defy detection" OF course when
man enters into negotiations with an al
legged cOunterfeiter he is himself criminal
and knows it. Consequently when he is
buncoed out of his money he swallows his
poison, fearing that if he asked the authorl-
ties to assist him in running down the frauds
he must first confess himself one who Is de-
frauded in an attempt to defraud the gov
eminent and his own innocent neighbors.
This is the strong hold Of the green goods
fraternity
This is the reason why barely one per
cent of the victims it is believed ever
become known. 1t is this one per cent
with which the secret service has to DEAL
and through which it often encompasses the
offender. More often we ensnare them by
answering their alluring offers and arrang-
ing with some one of our department to
play the role Of the come on" or victim.
and round up the rascals when they least
expect
COME ON LITERATURE.
To show what education and wit are re-
quired to become successful green goods
manipulation, it is only necessary to glance
over specimens of the green goods litera-
ture. The first we shall call No. l. 1t
is the initial lure
"Confidential-My Dear Sir: Your name
was sent me by my son, who is my trav-
cling representative, as shrewd, reliable
and trustworthy man for me to cooperate
with in your vicinity, and l therefore take
the liberty of making you proposition. The
writer is an expert engraver, having for
% years been employed in the bureau of
engraving, Washington, D. c., and for II
years superintendent of one of the largest
bank note engraving companies in the coun-
try. During my leisure took up as side
issue the duplication. of ones, ives, and
tens, and as these were the original de-
nominations 1 had worked upon you can be-
lieve when l say they are perfect dupli-
Gates.
Now, my dear sir am fully aware Of
the suspicion and prejudice mat you ma
turally will entertain for my proposition, as
you will on. first thought class it as COM
ing from green goods or sawdust swindler,
but if you will lay aside that prejudice, ap-
ply common sense and look at my PROPOSE
ton from a business standpoint, compare
it with the methods Of these petty swind-
lers and you will credit me with not be-
ing fool enough to waste my time ad-
dressing a man of your intelligence and
standing in the community"
He then goes on to EXPOSE" those petty
swfndlers, only to lead his man into anoth-
er and surer method of swindling. He
continues:
Il do not want you to send me one cent.
What l want to know is whether you will
be willing to cooperate with me in the
disposal Of my goods, providing that l can
prove TO you DeyOuu all uOuUC tHdI uy WOTk
is all l claim for it, and that it cannot
be told from the genuine. Understand, l
do not yant you to invest a dollar until
you have examined my whole stock, from
81 to 500, 600. Compare them with the
genuine, and in fact, submit them to any
test you may see fit. Then, after you are
thoroughly satisfied on every point, you can
decide whether you accept my proposition or
not
The fact is that an investment of $500
toto bat
lifetime of toll in your present business
would not do-this without injuring friends,
neighbors or your fellow men. To convince
you of the safety of the business 1 WILL upon
receipt of the telegram. as per enclosed
note send you a sample of my work, and
will also appoint place to meet you that
you can personally examine my whole stock.
If for any reason you decide not to cooper
ate with me, l trust, as an honorable man,
etc. you will not be so heartless as to
destrop my life work, so kindly burn this
end let the matter drop. Trusting, however,
to hear from you Immediately, 1 con-
fidentially yours-Oldest Steel Plate En-
graver in the United States"
The mote" enclosed is as follows, you
. observe:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. directions implicitly;
in no other way communicate with me.
Prepay your message to insure safe delivery.
l caution you not to send any letters to this
address, as they will positively be refused
and returned to you unopened through the
Dead Letter office, and SO bring trouble
upon you. Your telegram being in cipher,
no one will understand its meaning, so have
no fear Put your address under your
initials and tell the operator to send it also.
be careful to send copy of this telegram
exact:
III Y Jones, Rondout, N. Y.-His pres
ent address is No. $50 Greene street.
Sign above telegram with full initials,
and send by w. U. telegraph"
as fake newspaper clippings, which state
that since such a time plates belonging to
the treasury department have been missing,
or a fake copy of the On1cial Counterfeit
Detector, purported to be issued by the
government, with perfect duplicates, gen.
uine paper, skeleton backs and only to be
detected by the highest experts" or Dis
covered only through duplicate numbers, as
they absolutely perfect" etc. the sheet
also stamped with the alleged official seal
of the United States treasury.
This is the first series of documents We
now pass to the second SERIES The victim
has bitten, sent the telegram. and in return
he receives a letter enclosing genuine
one dollar bill from the treasury depart
ment fresh and crisp, but laid between two
sheets of waxed paper. upon which the ink
offsets slightly and gives the illusion of
having just been printed by the sender
This document is masterpiece of rascal
literature: ...,..
my Dear Sir-Your telegram received.
AS l promised 1 enclose sample. AS the
ink on the back is not quite dry, I leave the
sheeting tissue between to avoid shutting.
Tn ooca If should stick uSo rnOiSteu cd