The Columbus journal., 1908-01-22
Holu to .Sif "Sure 7hines'
Crafty Investment Swinders Who Prey Upon the Credu
of the Laborer 10 Defraud Him Of His
Hard Earned Savings.
BY ROBERT 3. ARMSTRONG,
Former Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury.


which the up-tO-date Investment swim
dler plies his craft are almost incred-
ible. Wherever you find a fraudulent
investment scheme you will find both
OF these elements present in some de-
gree-but the comparative proportion
OF one to inc other is generally deter
mined by the element of time of opera
tiOn.
For example. If the projectors of q
scheme are old hands at the game and
have established records of the wrong
sort, then the idea of quick results is
not only attractive but often impera-
tive. There are many "Old offenders"
in the profession of investment swim
ding who have been convicted and
have done time in jails and peni-
tentiaries but have not yet learned to
prefer straight to crooked finance.
Men of this character realize that
quick getaway" is a cardinal essen
tial of success: they must complete
the transaction and get In the harves:
before there is time for the public to
wake up and do any investigating.
Consequently. bOldness is the big ele-
ment in operations of men OF this
class. And. although they may be i'm
mensely clever. daring rather than
cunning will be the dominant char
acteristic Of their scheme.
The length to which the bolder spir-
it's in this class will go almost sur
masses credibility Here is an example
Of the tricks to which they will resort
in order to create the impression of
having the backing of men or institu-
tions of strength and character:
Through introduction by social
friends the local representative of an
investment scheme was able to open a
checking account with a banking and
trust company in a big city-a COM
pany of so high a standing that it is
very widely known outside of financial
circles and among people Of small
means Its endorsement was worth
ready money" to any enterprise and
the fact was keenly appreciated by the
fiscal agents" of the Brite & Fair
BONANZA company.
After the opening of his personal
checking account. the fiscal agent lost
no time in cultivating the acQuaint.
ance Of the trust ohicer Of the bank.
ing institution. which did a very large
business in the discharge of trusts.
One day the depositOr came to this Of
ficer and explained that he had a very
simple little trust which he wished to
have executed. Finding it necessary
10 leave the city for a few days he
wished to provide for the delivery OF
a sealed package, containing valuable
papers," to a man whose name and
personal description WAS given. The
person to call for the package would
leave a certified check. in the amount
of 81 600, which was to be placed to
the credit of the fiscal agent" of the
Rrite & Fair Bonanza company, whose
business connections were unknown
To the trust officers of the banking
and trust company.
Weeks later the trust officer was as
tonished to receive from an old per-
sonal friend, who was knocking about
in the west, a circular of the Brite &
Fair Bonanza company. in which the
bix trust company was designated as
..trustee" for the ''B. & F." stocks.
As the friend who forwarded the cir
cular knew something Of the wildcat
nature of the Brite & Fair enterprise,
his comments on the folly of the
banks accepting such trust had
an edge on them. When the matter
was Investigated it was found that
the whole plot had been carefully con.
cocted and worked up to; that the cir
culars had been printed and put in d.
rected envelopes ready for mailing in
advance of the placing of the so-called
trust" and that when the trust OFF,
Ger of the solid financial institution
had given Ms receipt for the sealed
package said to contain valuable pa
pers," a telegram had been sent by
the fiscal agent" to mail out trustee
circulars" The man in this scheme
of course believed that. as the circu-
lars were being mailed out into q ter
ritory about q thousand miles from
the city in which the banking and
trust company was located the trust
officer who had been imposed upon
would never hear of the misuse of his
receipt for dummy" package which
actually contained certificates of the
mining company's stock.
Why did the men who worked this
scheme TO steal the moral support OF
the big trust company go to SO great