The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-14

cheat. Yet it was not until the police
authorities moved in the matter that Mil
Ter was obliged to take refuge in flight,
and even then hundreds Of his dupes
were angry with the police for hay
ing interrupted a business which they
were fully persuaded was sound and
honest. Miller is now in Jail awaiting
trial, and if common report speaks truly
The production Of his books Will show
that hundreds Of apparently sane and re-
spOnsible citizens We're firm believers in
he amazing proposition that money can
be safely and honestly invested at 10 per
cent, a week. Since the time when john
Law organized his famous bank, now
nearly 200 years ago. and drew thousands
of dupes into the net of his Mississippi
and South Sea bubble schemes there
has been no more astonishing exhibition
Of popular creduIity in a community that
claims to be intelligent.
II was a curious fact connected with
Laws famous bubble" schemes that
whole brood of similar crazy ventures fol-
lowed in their wake The historians tell
US that among these a company was or
ganiZed in London, promising enormous
profits 10 investors TO make real boards
out Of saWdust" Another was launched
with nothing more specific in its prospec-
tus that the statement that it was organ
lied for carrying on an Undertaking OF
great advantage, but nobody to know
what il is" Within five hours this man
had received $4,000 for stock in his mys-
ferrous sure thing" Dew York city ap-
pears to be suffering at this time from q
similar epidemic of willingness to be
numbugged. Since the Miller Syndicate
collapsed, and in spite of its public ex-
posture, several companies have put forth
prospectuses. offerings rates of interest
almost as impossible as that which Miller
pledged himself to pay In every case an
nouncement is made that the reason
these high rates of interest can be paid
is that the syndicate. like Millers, has
special inside relations with Wall
street. which enable it to know just what
stocks are going to rise and fail and when
they are going to do it, The police have
closed up some Of these concerns and the
postofiice authorities have closed the
mails against them, but others spring up
like mushrooms to take their places. The
supply of human gudgeons in New York
would appear to be unlimited.
Another scheme with which the New
York authorities have recently interfered
illustrates the same prevalence. of extra
ordinary credulity among the people of
Gotham This was the flaring announce
ment by an alleged magician" that he
was in possession of wonderful charm
bequathed to him by an Oriental ancestor.
who commanded him to communicate the
fact to such people in this country as
were willing to believe in the mystic pow
er of the talisman and incidentally to pay
81 a piece for it. BY it New Workers were
told that they could acquire wealth, re-
cover health and win the objects of their
affections Thousands of trusting New
Workers have rushed to secure this tails
man at 81 a head.
Much in the same order is a much-ad-
vertised "good-luck box" This box is
also announced an Importation from the
land of the Magi, and it's purchasers are
told that they will escape all manner of
perils by land and sea, make money fast
err than they can count it, recover lost
property in the most astonishing manner,
get rid Of all their ailments promptly and
marry the ladies and gentlSmeR of their
choice without the least difficulty. This
device has also received the attention of
the police, and incidentally 1t was discov-
cred that the wonderful luck boxes
We're being manufactured by the gross at
Lynn, Mass
Add to all these evidences that New
York is mainly inhabited by persons who
are "a soft mark" for any impostor who
happens along, no matter how wild his
claims may be- the fact that its news
papers fairly TEEN with advertisements
Of divine healers." magnetic Doctors
and thought physicians" who offer to
cure anything and everything by secret
the picture is about complete. One Of the
holder of these medical Adventures, who
has recently been put under arrest, pub
hshed startling pictures, in which his i'm
aginary establishment was shown, sur
rounded by two human professions one
going in at the front door on crutches
and in various postures of pain, the other
streaming out with athletic strides COM
pietely cured by "self-reiance" and "di-
vine healing" There is little hone not
wIstandiug the activity of the police that
News York will cease to be the paradise
of charlatans. The remedy must go deep
er 1t is a case for popular education and
enlightenment on a grand scale. If we
We're NOT so busily engaged thinking out
schemes for improving and elevating the
Filipinos New York city would surely at
tract more attention as a field for mis-
sionary enterprise.
The flower trade of London exceeds
in n NJ m