The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-19
HER FREE CURE BARRED
Mrs. May Hawkins PhiIan,
thrOphy Receives a Check.
A Fraud Order Issued by the Postof-
flee Department Prohibiting "a
1rnnd Rapids, Mich, Company
From Using the Mails for Adver-
tising Panncen for Drunkenness.

A fraud order was issued by the Postof-
flee Department yesterday against Mrs. May
Hawkins. of P. o. Box 81, Grand Rapids
Mich, who for the past three years has
been advertising as philanthropist ready
to help her unfortunate sisters to
cure their husbands, brothers. sons. or
fathers, of the drink habit, free of cost
The alleged fraud upon which the de-
partment based its order consists in the
fact that Mrs. Hawkins is not philan-
thropist in the way she allows herself to
be advertised by the Grand Rapids Cure
Company, and does not send the cure free
of cost to persons answering the adver-
tisement. The company using Mrs. May
Hawkins name at the rate of $50 per an
mum first sends small sample packages
of Its cure with letter telling the price
of the packages which will work the won
vertisement dwells upon.
In the investigation carried on by the
department following the receipt OF many
complaints against Mrs Hawkins, It de-
veloped that she had once been Mrs. May
Hawkins but that she had married
again. What her name Is now the authori-
ties refuse to tell. but for about three
years her photograph has been familiar TO
the readers OF advertisements published all
over the country in which a column cut
OF woman's face beaming in smiles. raj
liant as Lydia Pinkham's. appears.
1t developed in the Investigation that
Mrs. May Hawkins never sat for the
photograph from which this cut Of A
philanthropic looking old lady's face vas
made. 1t also developed that Mrs. Hay
Hawkins had no interest whatever in her
dear friends with drunken fathers. sons.
and brothers, who wrots TO Box 81. Grand
Rapids, Mich. to get her free drink
cure for them. She made no defence when
brought before the inspectors. saying that
beyond the $50 a year which she received
from the company for the use OF her name
she had no interest
The letters which the company signed
Mrs. May Hawkins name to. now on
file in the PostofIlce Department. are.
some OF them, very touching. Mrs Haw-
kins throws herself into the every day
life and sorrows of her dear friends"
with drunken husbands, fathers, sons.
and brothers. and "sacredly keeps their
every confidence" at the rate of 50 per.
The case of one OF her dear friends"
was made the basis of stopping Mrs
Hawkins mail. After a long mimeo-
graph letter correspondence on the part
of Mrs. Hawkins" with this dear friend"
of hers, who lived in Akron, Ohio, the
PostOfiice Department received a letter
from Mrs. Hawkins - dear friend
saying that her husband had gone crazy
from taking the cure. An investigation
resulted.
Mrs. Hawkins has built up quite large
business for the Grand Rapids Drunkard
Cure Company Ghis is not its real rame)
that has been paying her $50 year. Her
letters to her "dear friends In sorrow,
however, say that she has labored in vain
with the man who makes the remedy.
who is not rich" to get him to put it
up cheaper, but that ne told her that he
was giving 1t to her dear friends" at
cost, and was very sorry that he could
not send ii any cheaper
The advertisement which goes with the
face" of Mrs. May Hawkins" reads as
follows:
DRINK HABIT CURED.
Mrs. May Hawkins Will help every wo-
man save a drunkard. A trial package
of her marvellous home treatment FREE
for the asking.
ANY true woman might well be proud
to have saved one poor soul from the
shackles of drink, but Mrs. Hawkins has
redeemed thousands by her noble work
among those who have been victims of in
temperance. Mrs. Hawkins for years suf-
fered the grief and anguish shared by so
many true and faithful women OF America
today. who have drink afflicted fathers,
husbands, sons, or brothers. She deter
mined to overcome this fearful evil il pos
sible. Her search for a harmless perfect
secret home crue was at last rewarded,
when an old friend came to her and gave
her remedy which has never been known
to fail. Mrs. Hawkins gave the remedy
secretly and in a few weeks to her great
surprise her dearest relative was entirely
cured of the appetite for drink and was
again restored TO health and manhood.
After this wonderful result Mrs. Haw-
sins decided to devote her life to the work
Of helping her sisters everywhere whom
she found suffering she mad suffered
from the affects OF alcohol upon hus-
band, father, son, or brother. With the
assistance of others she perfected the
original treatment and now offers to send
this treatment free to any disturbed wife,
mother. sister. or daughter, who will
write for it. Mrs. Hawkins great desire
is that every woman who needs this medi-
cine will write at once to her to get it,"
Then follows one of the touching Gc-
acknowledgements from "a grateful woman."
one of Mrs. Hawkins " dear friends
In this case the writer was Mrs. H \.
Lane, OF East Hampton. Mo, who said
that Mrs. Hawkins" has been the means
"of bringing sunshine into my home etc
Hereafter Mrs. May Hawkins dear
friends" will have to tell her abcut the
sunshine she mas brought into their
homes at s. per through some other
means than the mails, for their letters
will be returned to them by the Pcstcf-
fee Department before Mrs. Hawk ns'
or the company that she has been paying
her $50 year get a chance to read them