Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-28
easy FOR BUNCO MEN
Success Of the Franklin Syndicate
Swindle Turns Tide Towards
New York.
All Sorts of Schemes For Getting
Rich Quick Launched in
Metropolis.
Several Speculative" Projects Meet.
ing With Good Patronage-Mil-
Ter Still Missing.

new YORK, NOV. 2S.-Slnce the revela-
tions regarding Miller and his Franklin
Syndicate have been spread over the
land every confidence man and bunko
steerer, every manipulation of shady"
games in the United States has started
post haste to New York. Apparently
no field is so rich in Suckers and the
confidence men are hurrying hither by
fast train while the crop of dupes is
ripe for the harvest.
Those who can not come by fast
train come anyway. The discomforts
of box car journey lose their terror to
the men of wiles in their anticipation
of the riches that await them here
What are the gold brick fields of In
diana when compared to the glittering
possibilities of New York;" they ask.
Did the backwoods of Michigan ever
offer such Inducements to the 'talent?'
Where. in the foadest fancy of the
/ bunko man, ever existed city where
millions of people will stand wondering
while a sleek individual gulls them out
I OF a million or more-and this after the
newspapers have time after time ex-
posed the swindle?
Does any city boast of police
| force like New Works.? Other rude po-
licemen arrest us and take us to Jail
Here they say we are all right till they
can prove we are wrong. But they
don't prove us wrong. o, it is all so
Pleasant"
New York's laSchstring is on the out
side,
one evidence that the door has been
entered was furnished yesterday by the
appearance on the Bowery of a Chicago
wrestler whose only opponent of late
has been hard luck The man today
had money To throw away He wrestled
II. probably, from New Works willing
suckers
Miller and his press agent, Leslie, are
stu at large, but other games like
theirs are springing UP so fast on the
heels of theirs that their names are apt
soon 10 become only memory While
the dupes Of the Franklin Syndicate
We're yesterday fling attachments an
other bunch of come ons' was biting
at new scheme which the clever mind
Iof a former lottery man had evolved
y
The following advertisement APP
peared in some papers yesterday:
! Wanted-Young men, fifty. to assist
imperial stock brokers', college bred
| preferred; $50 monthly Apply at
\ 'fwenty-fourth street and Madison ave-
| nue., Monday, II o'clock sharp
Five hundred young men had an
\ swered this novel advertisement before
! II o'clock sharp" this morning, and
when they found that the place was
the banking Offices at the metropolitan
Insurance Company,s building at Madi-
son square and Twenty-thrd street
! they fought 50 tiercely for admittance
that the police sent for reserves TO keep
the college, bred young men from tear
ing each other TO pieces.
Inside ksen-faced sauve. middle
4 aged man, with shiny black mustache
Il and a soft voice, was explaining his
business 10 the first corners.
1t was a wonderful business. all profit
I and all the profits Tor the customers and
X agents of the Imperial Stock Brokers.
The Imperial National Bank, of which
the advertisement spoke has fine quar-
tiers on the ground floor of the Metro
4 politau Bank building. Its head is Loui:
4 A. Gourdain. known throughout tn,
country as one of the principals of tbs
Louisiana State Loan and Trust Com
pany. in other words the Louisiana
State Lottery.
Gonrdain explained his scheme to hi
enthusiastic listeners. 1t beats the Mil
Ter game for profits 1t is an endless
chain coupon scheme, Gourdain sell
for 81 a bond containing four coupons
Each coupon is TO be resold for % cent
, by the customer. As soon as all of tn
coupons are returned the holder OF tn
main STUB is entitled to 81 - in cash. $
lin Imperial shares. or in any kind o
goods the patron may choose. Great in
ducements are offered to purchasers o
the single coupons.
The house Of L. A. Gourdain & Co..
said the young man, have a little spar
capital and they have taken up thi
scheme To attract attention We get tn
advertising and you get the money.
think that is perfectly fair Don't YOU?
The college bred" young men still
hesitated, whereupon Gourdain himsel
came forward and explained further.
1.-THE bonds he said. twill cost Vol
81 Each of the four coupons on tn
bond calls for a new bond on the pay
ment of 81. Each coupon sells for 2
cents. When you have sold the coupon
and bring back the bond / will pay yol
So on the transaction Three dollars 70
one. It's expensive for me, but ever.
time I sell coupon ] get new agent
1t is sort of endless chain arrange
+ ment. It's all profit for you and pub
, icity for me"
The college bred young men hesitate
no longer, but fought hard for the cpu
! pons. Gourdain watched the proceed
| ings
This scheme has never been worke
before" said Gourdain 10 a reporter. I"
had been thinking it over for lon
time. and finally made up my mind t
} put it in operation I defy any one
prove that 1t is dishonest. / have othe
business enterprises, too, which will b
worked to help along the opening of tn
!: Imperial National Bank. Our main oh
ject is to raise capital to start thi
institution
Capt. McClusky was Informed abou
Gourdain and his coupon scheme. TIL
police are watching it closely.
One hundred and fifty victims Of tn
3 Franklin Syndicate. whose claim
= ~