The times., 1900-12-30
TRICKS OF swINDLERs.
FavOrite Plans for Securing Cash
From Unvary Ones
prom the Chicago Tribune.l

prom the Chicago Tribune.)
II II is true that there is nothing new
under the sun it is not the fault of the
hosts of men~and women who make their
living by the exercise of their wits and
the lack of exercise of wits Of other peo-
pie. Devoting their talent to the inven-
tion and contrivSnee on swindling devices,
they succeed at least in proving that the
ancients had many of these, for they pro-
duce with wonderful ease schemes that are
new to Chicago police and to those OF 9TH
er cities. And when they found scheme
that can be worked successfully it becomes
for the nonce the fad" of their kind, and
is used by many in States as widely diver
gent as Maine and California.
AT present there is a somewhat slack
time among the swindlers in the big cities
Confidence men have gone West with the
fakirs. Those who have been left behind,
however are keeping the police busy with
variations OF the coupon" swindle.
Where this originated, or in what form 1t
was used, does not appear. In the main it
is worked on this way: concern ad-
vertises to give some valuable concession
or merchandise for a few cents-or even
for nothing-and publishes the advertise
ment widely. person locking for some
thing for nothing-something which is
hard to finds sent a letter in reply en-
closing a number of coupons in book
sometimes three, sometimes as high as five
or ten. He is to pay, perhaps cents for
the coupons. Each OF these he is to sell
to a friend, for say, 80 cents and when
he has sold all three and sent the money TO
the firm he receives the goods he latter
are usually of such sort that : profit of
several hundred per cent is piade from
them. The coupons, which are sold to the
first purchaser entitle each of his friends
to another book of coupons which they can
sell Ia similar manner thus getting their
own money back and another package OF
the goods. In the end the proprietors,
when they have sent out a sufficient num-
ber of coupons and returns begin to slack
up, disappear without redeeming outstand-
ing liabilities
The swindle bobbed up in Chicago not
long ago as a method of buying street ear
tickets. concern advertised to sell
street car tickets on any line at the rate
of SO worth for so cents. 1t was done by
coupons. Immediately some one else got
on to the scheme and started in the bust
ness and in few weeks there were
many of the chains formed. Then com
plant was made to the police, and on in
vestigaticn by detectives the concerns
were shut down. Driven out OF the ticket
business, however, they did not abandon
their plan. but began working in other
cts, and offered articles worth s1.50 for
about a nickel. Detectives have been as
signed TO this form of swindle, and spend
the greater part of their time ferreting
out the many forms in which it is found.
The matrimonial agency swindle is as
old as the oldest, but has bobbed up anew
lately with great vigor. Advertisements,
inserted in papers all over the country,
call attention to the statement that
young woman with big fortune is look
ing for nice, agreeable husband.
The young men who want 10 try for the
job write to an address in New York, st.
Louis, or Chicago-the concern seems to
have several ofices-and get a reply ask
ing for twenty cents In stamps to pay
postage on a description of the damsel
and a chance at the lottery for her hand.
When he has anted this amount he is again
asked to contribute S. for membership in
the matrimonial club which is exploiting
the dsmsel. And when he has done this
he finds that some one else has captured
the maiden and left him nothing but the
sell. The device is an old one, but it is
perennial and just now is being worked
hard
II don't believe I ever saw swindlers
harder up for schemes said Captain Col
Ieran. chief of Chicago's detective force,
when asked what new games the sharp
ers are playing on an unsnspeeting pub
lie. There seems to be dearth of abil-
ity to devise swindles, and they are all
sticking to two or three old games. That
coupon swndle, which is being worked to
death. is the only reasonably new thing
they have got. They ought to know by
this time that it is simply nuts for us to
run down an old game like that"