The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-02-26

promoter for the applicant to visit him at
his Office in order that details might be ar
ranged and a contract signed. The man
was cited by the Department to show
cause why q fraud order should not issue,
to which he admitted he had realized from
advertising and correspondence the sum of
81 $50, and that this sum had been col
lected from eight different persons. He
attempted to set forth the great good he
expected to do in the work in which he
was engaged, praising himself for the self
sacrifices he had made for the Church.
after the manner of the self-made man,
who is always calling attention to his
special style of architecture. The evil
dence submitted, however, conclusively
showed that the representations he made
were false. To each of these parties he
claimed that he lacked Just a small
amount of money, say, $500 or $500, to
start and fully establish his business, to
get his literature out and circulate the
same. Investigation showed that he had
no plan formulated upon which to conduct
his business, and that this representation
was made to each of the parties from
whom he solicited funds.
Notwithstanding the humiliation of con-
Tossing losses, the Department is deluged
with tales of doleful woe from some of
the people who have invested money with
New York and Chicago swindlers, claim
ing to conduct speculative operations and
doing business entirely through the mails.
These outfits are broken up by the post
office authorities as soon as their fraudu-
lent character is clearly established, but it
seems impossible to drive the men who
run the alleged investment agencies out of
business. The game is easy for them, and
they are fully posted as to obstacles in the
way Of convicting them. AS soon as one
brokerage" establishment is broken up,
the men who have conducted it simply
move to another block and open q new Of
flce under another name. The change only
involves the getting out another batch of
literature. The thousands of dollars which
these sharpers get from educated men and
women is q perpetual source of astonish-
ment. These shorn victims usually con-
ceal their losses, and protest as demurely
rs lamb from the inside of lion. 1t is
the more ignorant class of losers who
smother their pride and give strenuous ut
teraRce to wrathful lamentations
No man has ever succeeded in perma-
nently cOrnering the humbug market. A
so-called Music Company of Chicago repre-
sented in letters purporting to be personal
that certain piece of music published by
tile company had been dedicated to the adj
dressee, and soliciting m order for such
music. 1t appeared that in no case had
the music t:ccn dedicated as represented,
but that the representation was made
solely to induce such persons to purchase
the music. This concern was called upon
to show cause why fraud order" should
not be issued against il. A reply was
made asking that the order be not issued
to Save the good name" of the promoter,
and stating that the sale of music in this
manner had been discontinued. AS a
scheme for working on self-esteem and
vanity this conception is worthy one of
those fiscal giants whose speciality is that
Of placing railroads yet TO be built on a
dividend-paying business.
A yorng lady in Covington, Ky, con-
ceived the idea of mailing letters 10 prom-
neat persons and concerns throughout the
country, requesting remittances IF 81 from
each in order to assist her in completing
her education. To induce such remit
tanocs, it was stated that she was trying
to work her way through school and was
experiencing a great deal of difficulty in
doing so: that she had adopted, as n last
resort, the means named to secure neces-
sary money, and further represented that
she had written to but % persons. The
evidence collected by the Department
showed that the representations were
false, aud made simply for the purpose of
securing So from Il large number of berev-
o;eEt PERSONS. The fake medicines. w:lr-
ranted to save patients whom the doctors
have given up as both incurable and I'M
killable, are scarcely superior in measure
less audacity and refined cruelty to this
braZen scheme.