Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-10-16
Chicago correspondence

n
SA/~n police department
S"~<~ and the postotfice
authorities, which
~ 1872 has resulted in
teesssnr the raiding and
exposure of $50
firms of fraudulent character during
the last two years, every office building
in the city contains companies which
are operating in the hope that they will
be overlooked for a few weeks or
months so that the nets that they have
j cast can be hauled in full.
A walk down the Railways of the big
buildings, even those demanding high
rental, will reveal the presence of these
business leeches. The offices are fur
nished in luxury and with an eye to
dazzling the man from the smaller town
and the country who is lured there by
the huge promises made in the adver-
tisements. There are many stenogra-
piers, clicking away busily. Men are
rushing to and fro from rooms marked
private" to the cashiers desk. The
al glimpse of the presidents office"
reveals dignified gentleman sitting at
an expensive table and surrounded by
imposing books and correspondence. 1t
is setting that works like charm.
Scarcely day passes that victims do
not appear in the police courts to tell
the loss of insurance money, etc, at the
hands of these shrewd swindlers. The
swindlers always are represented by
lawyers who are familiar with the tech
nicalities of the law, and who. if their
clients are charged with obtaining mon
ey by false pretenSes, insist that the
victim invested money as a result of
promises or misrepresentation as to
the future returns from the business. If
charged with a confidence game these
lawyers claim a mere business transac-
ton, and that conversation merged to
a written agreement or at the most,
false pretenses and a miSdemeanOr. The
schemes are so cunningly devised that
false representations scarcely ever can
be proved
The tentacles of the great system
which has conferred in this city for so
many years have swept out into the
farthermost regions of the West, made
desolate homes, scattered hard earned
savings, and dashed bright hopes. The
method is simple; the bait alluring.
Most of the men in the we'll organ
lied companies that prey upon the
public are we'll educated. They have
the fever in their blood as thoroughly
as their victims, They have been
known to bite on the nook east out by
some of their disguised pals" II
they would turn their intellects and
energies to legitimate business they
would make respectable fortunes and
be safe. But the lure of the game is
as strong as that of the underworld
or the wanderlust. Persuasive, clever
picturesque writing forms the mair
asset of the companies at the start
Literature is the first necessity anG
the money to buy the stamps to mail it
Then an office with a high sounding
firm title on the door and a large bag
to hold the coin.
How the Money Is Dropped.
The last year has overturned severa
pinnacles of graft. Here Is the way the
money has been dropped in Chicago
within a year: Matrimonial bureaus
$1,000.000; employment agencies
100000; turf commissioners, $500,
600; charity homes, 100000; wildca
insurance $10000,000; home buldn?
associations, SG.0OOOOO; bucketshops
$5000,000; wire tappers, 100000
book agencies, 100000; mines an(
oil wells. $8000.000; medicine compa
MES 100000. well-informed officia
says the American public drops annu
ally $150000,000 in these ''get-rch
quick" concerns.
Detective Sergeant Clifton Il. Wool
bridge says:
Were the census enumerators oil
the United States to compile a list OF
the sucker public the gullibe one.
would aggregate tens of millions
There is not a township in this great
nation that does not contain its por
ton of confiding persons who arr
ready to believe anything from the
rankest catch penny advertisement tc
fallacy in theological dogma. My
investigations for years past into the
innermost secrets of swindlers impe
the belief that their faith passes into
the domain of imbecility. Thousands
of men are willing to throw money tC
the man who proclaims that for a few
pennies he will impart the secret OF
raising the dead. or how &c make one
dollar make million, or how to bat.
tie the savants of science after a days
research. Every mail car out of Chi.
cago groans under a burden OF get.
rich-quick mail to be scattered in ev.
cry direction. The operatives of these
schemes are the most dangerous of
criminals. They are received with
open arms in social and business cir
Giles. They contribute to the churches
and their wives and daughters visit in
automobiles and dazzle at social func-
lions by their silks and diamonds.
Every time a 'get-rich-quick' bub-
BILE bursts there follows a long, dreary
story of misplaced confidence But as
soon as active publicity ceases the
dearly bought lesson is forgotten and
the sucker is ready to spring to the
next tempting bait. The victims are
! numbered among all classes, from the
laundress to the lawyer, the merchant
to the clergyman"