The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-12-15
ARTFUL CROOKS
Use the Mails to Defraud the Public on
Big Scale
CLEVER BEGGING GAME

An Official OF tho Postoffca De-
partment Tells of an Interesting
Scheme Where a Girl Raked =
Big Pile Of Hard Cash By q CHAR
tS Scheme.
Tho following interesting story 10
| reported By a postofice official:
"use OF the mails Is resorted 10
by artful crooks a. q most conTe-
nient way Of defrauding the defense
less public. The chief ~postofhce In
| spector and his numerous expert as
| s,s,ants, stationed In various parts
| OF the country, are busy at all times
trying to save the people from be-
ing illegally separated from hell
money. Little does the public rea-
| lie the nature Of the schemes en-
| ployed to defraud through the malls.
| Almost every day the Postmaster
General signs orders depriving In
diyiduals and concerns conducting
businesses to defraud, from further
use of the mails. This Is not al
ways the final disposition OF such
cases-numbers Of these individuels
are summoned to court, and In many
| instances after trial. sentenced to
serve long terms in the penitentiary.
Perhaps one Of the most unusu-
al schemes to defraud through the
| mails was discovered not long ago.
After thorough investigation by the
Inspectors 1t was ultimately suppress
ed, but no. until after the promoters
had reaped 9 harvest. The schemes
consisted of an appeal to the peo-
pie for financial assistance n behalf
of an armless girl. For the pur-
pose OF bringing her condition to
the public attention. she published
q booklet and sent It broadcast
throughout the country. The booklet
was devoted to a brief history of
the girls life, detailing an accident
by which she had lost both OF her
arms. The narrative was accom-
panied by illustrations OF the unusu-
al work she performed with her
feet. With each booklet mailed
was enclosed a coin card requesting
the remittance Of rs cents for the
same. and q circular letter appeal
Ing to the recipient for money with
which to build a home and get some
good motherly woman to take care
Of It for her.
THE investigation made by the
inspector developed the fact that
the armless girl bad entered iato
a contract with a man, who resided
In the same city, to furnish the CAPT.
tai necessary to publish the booklet.
In return the man was to receive,
and did receive one-half Of the act
proceeds deriving from the sale of
the booklet He was first reimburs-
cd for the money he had advanced
to pay for its publication.
ION his initial visit to the town
where the business vas being car
| ried on, the inspector found that the
enterprise had attained such pro-
portions that the services of eleven
persons, IN addition to the armless
girl and her manager, were reQuir-
ed. The girl informed the inspec-
tor on this visit that at that time
three thousand booklets per day were
being mailed. that the daily receipts
amounted to from $86 to $3.50. and
that the business vas steadily In
creasing. She further Informed the
inspector that up to that time she
had accumulated as her share Of the
proceeds more than $4,000. While
the representations appearing in the
booklet respecting the physical oon-
litlon of the girl we're true, she had
long passed the stage where she was
dependent upon charity.
when the inspector was satiaed
that the girl was NJ longer a sub
ject for charity, and that Der man
ager was sharing equally In the pro-
ceeds, the subject Of depriving them
Of further use OF the malls was TAX
en- up. The interested parties were
asked to show why such On order
should be Issued. After appearing
and c~oneenting to eliminate from
their literature Objectionable and
misleading statements, they were
permitted to continue their business.
During the ensuing few months the
business dwindled to practically
nothing and 1t soon abandoned en-
tirely; the elimination Of the OBJ
jectionablo features from the litera-
ture having proved as effective as
the issuance Of q fraud order.
THE letter which accompanied
the booklet was a reproduction. A
footnote explained that 1t was a
facsimile Of a letter written with the
feet Of the girl. and that she would
like TO write each Q personal letter,
but 1t would be too much Of q task.
On the reverse side Of the letter,
what the girl proposed to do with
thu money derived from the sale OF
the booklet was explained and al
the same time a little history Of her
past was recited. 1t was stated