The daily sentinel., 1912-02-01
ROBBED OF S77,OOO,O00
BY SWINDLERS IN 1911
Mails of the United States Were
jSed by Perpetrators OF Frauds,
But Secret Service Men Land
ed Many OF Them.

According to the annual report of
Robert 5. Sharp, chief inspector OF
the postoffice department, the public
was swindled last year out of $77,-
100000 through the fraudulent use
of the mails.
Through. the activities of the de-
partment the persons who poclreted
this immense sum of money were put
out Of business. OF the entire num-
ber, 529 We're indicted, 497 arrested,
1874 convicted, . acquitted and III
are awaiting trial. There are also
~ awaiting action by the Uunited
States grand jury and As fugitives
from justice.
In his report. Inspector Sharp says:
In no instance, as far as known to
this office, has person convicted
of criminal charge of this eharac-
ter attempted TO reorganiZe his
scheme under new name. as was
often the case where fraud orders
were resorted to.
The result of the years work has
developed the fact that these fraud
manipulators are a distinct class of
criminals, some of them moving in
the highest social and business cir
cles, but nearly all having more or
less affiliations, and connection, with
or are advisers of schemes or enter
prises of illegitimate character in
which they are not known as pro-
moters.
The work of the past year has un-
covered a condition among the swind-
ling class which shows the astounding
extent of their operations and the
enormous amount of their ill-gotten
gains. AS shown elsewhere. only the
few swindling promoters who were
arrested last year obtained approx
mately ST7,O0O,00O.
There are doubtless numerous per-
sons operating similar schemes. as
evidenced by the complaints which
are pouring into the department En-
couraging reports from the centers of
population are being received to the
effect that a number of the smaller
swindlers have discontinued business
and their whereabouts are unknown
The policy of the department in at
tempting first to crush out the strong
and powerful criminals who have
grown rich at the game has proved
exceedingly effective in eliminating
the smaller ones.
The schemes in which there were
convictions generally fell under the
following groups:
Promoting and sale of worthless
mining or other stock.
Fake land schemes.
Commits sion merchant sWindles.
Selling worthless goods through
misrepresentation.
Obtaining commissions on fraudu-
lent orders.
Work ar homo spbampS
Failure to furnish good schemes.
Fake correspondence schools.
Phoney guarantee of stocks and
bonds.
Forged bills of lading in cotton
deals.
Brokerage swindles.
Obtaining money by impersonatins
others.
Selling state rights and establish.
ing fictitious agencies.
Selling unfair gambling devices.
No fund check schemes.
Defrauding employers by means OF
forged leases and keeping money re,
ceived from cash customers
Defrauding insurance companies
for alleged injuries.
Selling the rights to patent many
times in the same state.
Obtaining payment from relatives
of deceased persons for goods sup
posed to have been ordered before
death.
Obtaining money from alleged
| heirs to estates.
Obtaining subscriptions for charit
able institutions.
Selling interest in non-existine
moving picture theaters.
Selling diplomas and requiring lit
tie or no study before granting them
Offering to instruct persons in tn,
science of mind concentration
Fake trance mediums.
| Forged checks and blackmai
schemes.