The Anaconda standard., 1899-10-13
A PORTRAIT SV|NDLER
Long Exposed, but Still Able to
Do Business.
NUMBERS MANY VICTIMS
A Local Photographer Used as Refer
ence Without His Authority-It
~ hsIRiWas Swindle Upon the
Face OF 1t.

1.-THE, portrait swindler has again made
his appearance in the city and is once
more doing business The regularity
with which he comes is something quite
remarkable, but not more so than that
people should allow themselves to be
duped by. him after SO many such have
been exposed. But it does not seem to
| make any difference. He is always able
to do business. and then the police have
to listen to the troubles of his victims.
1t was only about a year ago that one
of these swindling schemes was broken
up by the police and exposed by the
newspapers, and it would seem that peo-
pie would not have forgotten it so soon,
but, notwithstanding, a new shark is in
the field, and from all reports appears to
be doing a thriving business
The latest swindle of this character
was called to the attention of the police
yesterday. The swindler operates under
the guise of a solicitor for local pho-
tographic studio He goes about taking
orders for photographs and tells his vic
fundamentally woman-that his house
is just now making photographs at a
greatly reduced rate as a matter of ad-
vertisement If she is gullible he takes
her order. In the cases thus far reported
Al.lU
dozen photographs. He requires the
customer to pay 25 cents down and fills
out what purports to be an order blank,
which he gives her and tells her to call
at the studio which he represents and
have the pictures made, the understand
ing being that she is to pay the balance
when the pictures are finished The vIc-
tim takes the order and presents it, only
to find that the studio has no such agent
out and is making no such prices; in
short, that she has been swindled and is
out her 25 cents.
The swindle was called to the attention
Of the head of the police department yes
terday by Photographer A. J. Dusseau,
whose studio the operator appears to
have selected as "his house, it being
necessary to use the name of a photogra-
pher that any one he approached would
know was a reliable artist, in order that
his genuineness would not be questioned.
Mr.. Dusseau stated that SO many victims
had presented the bogus orders to him
that he felt the police should be notified
and warning issued, as none Of the vic
tins seemed to have taken enough inter-
est to make complaint. This was doubt
less due to the amount being so small that
no one felt like making a complaint. In
notifying the police Mr.. Dusseau also had
in mind the possible apprehension Of the
swindler if he had not already left town.
Mr.. Dusseau placed in the hands of the
police several of the bogus orders. They
are on the face palpable fraud and the
wonder is that anyone would be so care
less as not to observe it. The orders ars
dated Portland Ore.'' and are on the
"Chicago Picture Frame and Novelty
Company" yet the swindlers victims do
not appear to have taken notice Of the
fact but have taken his word that they
would, get their pictures by applying to
Mr. Dusseau.
A sample of the orders reads: port
land. Ore, Oct. 3, 1S99.-Make holder, Mrs.
f. Smith. address POS Anaconda Road,
one dozen carbons."
Il hereby certify that ! have this day
given to Mr. - of group two.
agent for Chicago Picture Frame ana
portrait size, 6 of each 7--- -
for which l do agree to pay the sum of
$135 - deDosit % cents ------ bal
ance 81 10 ---- to be delivered ---- good
- l--- or as soon thereafter as
possible - Charges ----
until used -- sittings - Main and
Broadway. D. (Sgnedl, / B. BYRN.' =
Any one who could make sense out of
that kind Of an order would be genius,
and it seems remarkable that any one
would think it had any legitimacy. All
the order blanks shown the police are :
identicaly like this. except as to the
names and amounts charged, but. the
amount collected was aiways 25 cents.
The signature Is supposed to be fictitious.
While the swindle is a petty one, the
operator is supposed to have taken orders
enough to make it a paying business. The
police have not been able to locate the
swindler.