Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-25
Scheme to Fool the In
migration Officers.
Boston Officials Unearth |
Just in Time.
Russian-Jew PeddIers Were Operating
Profitable Business.

Boston, Nov. 24.-Boston's immigra-
ton inspectors have had a hand in UNI
earthing many fraudulent methods
adopted to secure the entrance into this
country of undesirable immigrants, but
their latest discovery is perhaps more
important than any that have gone be-
fore. Searching questions put to q wit
ness at one of the special boards con-
Vened at Long Wharf. recently, de-
veloped the fact that there are organ
lied bands of Russian-Jew peddlers
operating at Boston and New York who
provide the cash for steamship tickets
across the Atlantic, sell these tickets to
destitute Russian-JeWS desiring tn
come to this country and then collect
face value and about twenty-five per
cent interest on the tickets by the in
staiment plan. Viz, $1.00 or $500 per
week, according to the agreement en-
tered into.
Queried as to how the peddlerS Sc
cured the steamship tickets, how they
managed to get in the proper names of
those coming from Europe and other
questions along those lines, this witness
stated that they had no difficulty i'll
purchasing regular steamship ticket
blanks from certain steamship agents.
and all that remains for them to do is
to fill in the names themselves, sen,!
the ticket abroad, have it stamped
there ana turn it over To the immi-
grant. lnterroGated further. this wit
ness admitted that one peddler might
We'll cave for $50 destitute aliens :.
month by this method and there are at
least ten or dozen peddlers in the
band working around New York.
This revelation solved for the immi-
grafton inspectors Il point which has
per9ieXed them for Il long time--hOW
could destitute RuSsian-JeW arrive III
this country the first OF the month, for
example, state to the inspector who
examined him at the wharf that he had
only a tow dollars, and yet be able to
send to Russia for his family within
three weeks or a month after his own
admittanre: knowing what the ped
dlers are doing in the ticket line. ii Vas
a simple deduction that the same ped
dlers provide for the remainder Of The
family. after having placed the head OF
the house in the way to earn sufficient
money to insure them the return Of the
money loaned, with interest. Weekly
instruments begin from the time the
tickets are forwarded to the remainder
Of the family. ana as it takes them sew
er1l weeks to travel from their homes
in Russia to the SclportS of England,
the pnddler has the advantage Of being
able to cable to his cOnfcucrates abroad
to hold the family in case the head OF
the house here shows inclination to
break his part Of the agreement. Nor
is the high interest hearing loan con-
fined to the purchase of steamship
tickets. The local inspectors discov-
cred q case where the immigrants;
furniture for his home was provided by
the same method.
The discovery Of this fraud was none
too soon. for it will give the immigra-
ton officials all over the country a new
grasp on the situation which is antici-
pated for next spring. namely, a ire
menGouS influx of RusSian-JeW peas
aEtry. Ever since the Jew ma ssacre at
Kishineff there has been constantly
increasing tide of Jewish immigration
to this country, and the terrible scenes
of riot and murder in the last few
| months has convinced hundreds Of
| thousands of the down-trodden race
| that their only safety is in flight and
| their only refuge America.
The cry has been raised. why not
| let them come? They do not enter our
| hospitals and other charitable institu-
| tons" But the immigration inspectors
| have learned that it is impossible Ia
| know whether they do or not. for most
| of them enter the country under ficti-
| tious names are assisted in cvadinC
| the immigration laws by adrot and
well-driled perjurers. and once cstab-
| lished here. assum" their proper names
| or others, so that when n hospital OF
| other institution presents its list o:
| charity patients for the inspection OF
the immigration officials, the names dc
not tally with those on the entrance
| examination sheets.