The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-15
GREEN GOODS GAME,
Plenty Of Dupes in
Spite Of All Pub
1licity.
WORCESTER HAS SUFFERED.
How the Green Goods Cir
cular Does the Work
With Reubins.

Although the game of the green
again in the newspapers Of the United
States. there Is still a large field for
this class of criminals to operate land
nine times out Of ten his victim proves
to be man who has boarded his
money for lifetime and thinks more
of dollar than an ordinary man
thinks of a cent
That Worcester has offered an oc-
casionaI indUcement to the green
goods man is not doubted by Worces-
ter police officers, and even at this late
day, when the game is old, letters are
received by local men.
Local police officers have had prac-
tically no experience with green goods
men other than to receive an occa-
sional letter written to a resident of
this city, and in the past few years
nothing outside of John Reed and his
famous game, and Jernegan and sea-
water gold has attempted to make it's
home in Worcester county.
Post office inspectors all over the
country have given unlimited attention
to the game and every possible in
struction that would tend to run down
the fakirs has been sent to postmasters
in the United States.
Postmaster ], Evarts Greene is a hard
worker against the green goods man
and their circulars, and every clerk in
the office is always on the lookout for
letters that might come from them.
In recent report to the department
at Washington, the post Office inspect
ors Of the country suggested that an
he zfT7ta 70
post office in the United States with
orders to have it. posted in a conspicu-
GUS place in the office. This is only one
instance of getting at the evil which
will tend to bring better results than
anything yet attempted. The order
will call attention to the fact that the
penal code provides a penalty for en-
tering into any bargain or correspond
ence with men who use the mails with
an intention to defraud, and that to
answer a green goods circular is in it
self very apt to bring the writer into
the clutches Of the4l law.
In country towns, where people are
very apt not to read newspapers, the
notices posted on the walls of the local
post office is sure to bring the atten-
ton of the people of the town to it, and
it is not often that notice in the post
office will escape the attention the
town residents.
When a man enters into the spirit Of
a green goods game, he is himself a
counterfeiter in the true sense of the
word and for this reason not more
than l per cent of the persons buncoed
tell their losses to the police, or to any
outsider who mightin any way brood
it abroad that they had been defraud-
ed
The usual green goods circular seen
in Worcester is gotten up as follows:
CONFIDENTIAL.
my Dear Sir:
"Your name was sent me by my son,
who is my travelling representative, as
shrewd, reliable and trustworthy man for
me to cooperate with in your vicinity,
and | therefore take the liberty of MAX
ing you a proposition The writer is an
expert engraver, having for % years been
employed in the bureau of engraving,
Washington, D. c., and for u years SUI
perlntendent of one of the largest bank
note engraving companies in the country.
During my leisure | took up as side
issue the duplication Of ones, hves and
tens, and as these were the original de-
nominations | had worked upon, you can
believe me when | say they are perfect
duplicates.
Nov, my dear sir, I am fully aware
of the suspicion and prejudice that you
naturally viii entertain for my PROPOSE
ton as YOU will on first thought class
1t as coming from a green goods or saw
dust swindler but if you will lay aside
that prejudice, apply common sense and
look at my proposition from a business
standpoint, compare it with the meth
DDS of these petty swindlers, and you will
credit me with not being fool enough to
waste my time addressing a man of your
intelligence and standing in the com
munity.
q 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 I can prove to you beyond all doubt
that my work is all | claim for it and
that it can not be told from the genuine.
Understand, do not want you to invest
dollar until you have examined my
whole stock. from 81 to 100000. Compare
them with the genuine and in fact, sub
nit 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, an Investment of $500 will