The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-01-12

estate and various others purporting to
have millions of money on deposit in the
Bank of Holland"-a bank which, by the
way. does not exist. AS most Of the Euro:
peon governments have a provision by
WHICH unclaimed estates revert to the
crown, 1t Is easy to see how all such
propositions are swindles, but they go on
with more or less publicity each year at
though every dollar so expended Is thrown
away.
While most frauds are perpetrated
through the mail, the vigilance of the pos
tai authorities is becoming restraining. SO
the clcver~swinder Is resortlng to new
methods. The free homestead" swindls
has been worked assiduously throughout
the country during the past year.
A slick agent will locate In small
manufacturing town. putting up at the
best hotel. He becomes acquainted with
az many Of the working men as possible.
lie sympathizes with the laboring class
and thinks ii shame that wealthy cor
porations should get the best OF every.
thing. He claims to represent wealthy
farmer In Michigan. Texas, or some re-
mote locality. The said farmer is a pure
philanthropist with no desire to profit at
the expense of the poor. He owns hundreds
Of acres of good farming land. He wishes
this land to be converted into small home
steads and decided to worthy working peo-
Pile deserving OF a chance to live COM
fortably in their own homes. He is will
Ing to give away perhaps 50 or 100 lots alb
solutely fire to serve as a nucleus of a
model town. The agent Is to select these
worthy people and to secure their appl-
cations. 1t is necessary for the applicant
to put up a small sum OF money, usually
about S., for the expense of recording and
transfer and the deed will be forthcom-
ing. A live agent will cover town i'm
=. at,1 AAttr1 n hmm ra1
applicants with their fees and then depart
to new fields.
II takes a very clever person to con-
tinue living in luxury for a long life and
keep up the appearance of wealth with
nothing tangible to support him, but there
are a number of such cases on record. The
greatest swindle OF this kind presented
in the 10th century Is that of Madame
Humbert. Some 20 years ago an American.
Robert Crawford, fell In a AT at a station
i'm Paris The Humbert woman went to
his aid and he died shortly after Then IL
was reported that he had left her a large
fortune. A couple of nephews appeared on
the scene to corroborate the statement.
They seemed to be wealthy men travelling
for pleasure and with their assistance
Madame Humbert was able to secure cred
it for large sums on the strength OF the
| millions said TO be coming TO her. She
bought a mansion in Paris. giving In pay
| ment a promissory note based upon the
supposed millions. She bought country
estate for 100000 In the same way. This
she mortgaged for $50, 900 in ready money.
Similar transactions gave her the means
she required and back OF her always were
the reputed millions soon to become avail
able. In 20 years she secured at least &c.
coo 600, lived in great luxury. and, at her
death left nothing but a pile Of fraudulent
papers locked I'm her safe.
| A man and wife came to an Ohio town,
| took well furnished house and Joined q
prominent church. He opened an account
| in a local bank with 5000. which he after
wards increased to $4,000. Within six
months after gaining the confidence Of
| business men and the banker whose
| church he attended, he went to the bank
with a bundle of stock certificates. These
amounted to $4,000, according to a list he
| furnished. He asked the banker to per-
NIT him to deposit these. and after a
| slight examination the charge was accept
ed and receipt given signed by the presiI
dent of the bank. A stock broker then ac-
| copied the bank receipt for the list and
sold the stock for $4,000. it's face value.
| He paid over the money and the man and
his wife left town. The broker went to
the bank for the stock certificates which
turned out to be bogus although the bank
president had accepted them as genuine.
The clever swindler with $4,000 to start
with had cleared $4,000 in less than year.