Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-23

tory for analysis. Many Of the cure-alls
thus submitted are found to contain ingre-
dents which have never been known to
medicine as a panacea for the human ills In
question. Remedies which Of late have es-
pecially fallen under the ban Of suspicion
are OF that category recommended through
very seductive advertisements as having the
properties of Ponce de Icons long-sought
fountain. Some Of these have been found
to be tablets OF pure corn starch. Plain salt
and water have been found to constitute
the sole ingredients of some nostrums. 9th
ers are OF cheap elements equally impotent
in the diseases for which recommended.
Expert medical testimony IL often called
for after DR.. Wylie's analysis is completed
in a case. This was done in a case ending
in the issue this week Of a fraud order
against a medicine, Natures Health Re-
storer," advertised as cure for diseases
which run the gahut from falling hair to
broken back The documents in the case
contained not only the statement of DR..
Wylie. but of three Washington physicians
called as experts.
The get-rich-quick Investment" schemes
are now receiving the special attention of
the inspectors Swindlng concerns alleging
to place investments of their clients ."
money at enormous rates of interest fairly
swarm in the country. Although capitalists
are glad to loan their money on real estate
security at from to 5 per cent and to the
government at per cent, thousands of poor
people throughout the country easily
being gulled into turning over their funds to
concerns promising 30 per cent, or even
more. concern calling itself the "Nep-
tune Company" recently advertised from
Philadelphia that for 81 the investor would
be shown how to realize profits of 800 per
cent on a capital of IS, or make an income
of $3.50 per month and work only two or
three hours a month. The details, eagerly
purchased by gullible persons anxious to get
rich quickly, were these:
Get 500 families in your city who will pay
u per month for medical services. Get
them to pay you the money on a guarantee
that you will furnish them a physician
whenever they require one. Then make
deal with a physician whereby he will look
after the 500 families for $3.50 per month.
Your net profits will be $3.50 per month Get
1000 families and you will make $500 per
month"
Another 500 per cent investment was late
ly offered by a man in North Pembroke,
N. Y, who advertised that any one sending
him a quarter would receive in exchange
81 bill and that $50 would be sent to any
one who could detect it," Persons send
ing quarter received each eight receipts
for % cents, which the advertiser said con-
stituted a ''two-dollar bill against him.
Henceforth, he can receil no mail, he
moves to a strange place and does business
under an alias. which would be according
to the common practice of the debarred
bunco man. For example, one Fred Swartz,
charged with conducting fraudulent schemes
in New York and Philadelphia under vari
GUS aliases, lately changed his name to
Prof. Alex Aires" and from Atlantic City
solicited subscriptions Of so cents each for
the Fortune Magazine" which he alleged
to publish and whose columns were said
to be devoted entirely to phrenology, as
trology, palmistry and the occult sciences.
seductive feature of the advertisement
was a statement that subscribers would
be permitted to participate in contest for
a prize of 500. Mr.. Vickery's inspectors
found that no such magazine existed.
The most common of the get-rich-quick
schemes beinp blasted nv fraud orders
are those which advertise extensively to
invest money for clients by betting on
horse races. Large profits are always
guaranteed. One of these concerns, lately
denied the use of the mails. had the audac-
ity to advertise that "all element of chance
is eliminated from its system of invest
ments. Then there are the lotteries. against
which Uncle Sam has waged untfring war
for decades. OF late, German, Mexican and
West Indian lotteries have been reaching
out into the United States for customers.
Agents of the German enterprise have been
particularly persistent.
Meanest Of Grafters.
Guessing contests such as have been
features of various journals for several
years, have lately been put under the ban
by Attorney General Moody. who rules
that such schemes are, in effect, lotteries
under another guise. Hitherto the Post
Office Department had held that when pa
irons of such enterprises could use a dope
book, or records, or scientific informa-
ton Of some sort, in making their calcu-
lations their gueSseS were application
of calculation, foresight and knowledge
eliminating, to an extent at least the fac
tor of chance. Mr.. Moody's recent reversal
of this opinion was based upon an opinion
of the Supreme Court of the United States.
But, returning to the "bunco games, here
we have a peculiar sort, which of late has
been sprouting up all over the land with
surprising rapidity. This is the letter
adr,1n a
er is captured by the advertisement which
promises anybody 800 week without hard
work If he will but apply for information.
Almost as soon as he replies to the adver-
tisement the would-be amanuenSiS receives
instructions that before beginning his prorit-
able work he is expected to buy the 1nev-
table outfit" just Is guarantee of good
faith. The outfit being bought at an ex-
cessve price, the applicant hears no more
from his promised employers, who are. in
fact, merely dealers in outfits" Almost
as common is the cheap jewelry graft"
Under the guise of valuable prizes distrib-
uted gratis, brass rings and other trinkets
are really being sold at enormous profits.
realized in postage stamps sent in by ap-
plicants.
But the meanest gra fter of all of these for
which the post office inspectors are cunning
Is he who gets his salt from the tears of
bereaved persons. One of these concerns
had agents out over the country collecting
from the funeral notices in the various
papers names and residences of persons
lately deceased. Immediately a letter would
be addressed to the corpse. 1t would state
that the Bible which he had lately ordered.
and on which he had desired his name en-
bossed in gilt letters. was finished, and
wou be forwarded upon receipt of a stated
rate always excessive. The family of the
dead one would at once suppose that poor
dear john had .longed for the Holy Book in
his last hours, and so they would prize the
volume a souvenir of the lost one and
1t must be had at any cost The CRATER en-
gineering this enterprise had a raft of cheap
Bibles. which he sold at profit of several
hundred per cent.
Faith HeaIers ct al.
Throw away your raZors, gentlemen,
Throw them away" began the seductive
advertisement of another victim of the
fraud order. TRY my patent substitute once,