Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-08
SW|NDLERS GET
S183,000,000|N
1878 IS REPORT.
Chief Postoffice Inspector Ex-
poses Astounding Depredations
Through Mail Order System.
BY JONATHAN WINFIELD.

WASHINGTON, March mail or
der swindlers cleaned up" 1888, $1,000
in the last three years. The figures
are found in the report of the chief
postotfice inspector to the Postmas-
ter General for the year 1913.
Fifty different brands of schemers
are classified, ranging from the pix
err who steals 2-cent stamps TO the
Napoleon of finance" who trims
the public out of millions with sim
gle bunk" enterprise.
Worthless stock-selling schemes are
far in the lead. Next come land swim
dies and fake medicines. Other ia
vorite methods of mail swindling in
clude the ordering of goods under fic-
titious names. issuing checks with no
funds. matrimonial bureaus, astrolo-
CIV. clairvoyance, fake detective agen-
cies. fake banks, fake employment,
false death claims for insurance, re-
uuesting money for alleged valuable
papers of deceased persons, and fake
inventions.
Stock Frauds Extensive.
The report also states that the
stock selling proposition appears to
appeal to the public more than any
other one fraud scheme conducted,
and the amount of money taken In
by promoters operating this class OF
scheme is enormous
Many of the takers begin operations
through the advertising columns OF
periodicals. Here is a sample adVer-
tisement of this class;
WHY work for others? | will
guarantee you an income OF $lO0
weekly Write for particulars. x. Y.
T."
That looked pretty good to SIS
a-week bookkeeper so he wrote Tor
particulars The reply came that all
he had to do was to take a CORE
spondence course in "ReaN Estate and
Brokerage" for a few weeks, at the
cost of So (cut from the usual price
of $40, the prospectus said), when
diploma would be bestowed upon the
pupil, certifying that he was ntted 10
undertake all kinds of real estate Ind
brokerage.
Appeals Are AIuring.
Another attractive Offer was that
of a western gentleman who threat
ened to teach the mail order business
In a few weeks for ten dollars Inc
typewriter appeal of this altruist
was so similar in its general tone as
to lead one to believe it was written
by the Real Estate Expert just men,
toned Both documents contained
specious arguments, impossible prom
ises and slopped over with compli-
ments to the prospective correspond
ence pupil"
the report as probably the most far
reaching of it's kind ever prosecuted
bv the Postoffice Department 1t being
estimated that $6,000.000 were taken
from the public by the promoters;
Gigantic Swindic Revealed.
''The ostensible business of the In
ternational Lumber and Development
Company was to clear plant and
bring to a high state of tropical Gull
ture 10000 acres of land located in
Mexico. BY contracts entered into by
the several promoters in control OF
this company certain of them were 10
receive $50 while the others were 10
receive $3.50 for every share of STOCK
sold. for which the latter promoters
were to clear and develop one acre
of land.
ers of contracts were unable to make
their monthly payment, and were
| Iansed cut. The stockholders num-
her more than 1000, scattered
throughout the United States, Canada
and Europe. Dividends were paid from
the proceeds of the sale of stock. Or
fees were maintained in Mobile, Ala;
Chicago, Ill, and Philadelphia
Stole 100000.
This case was difficult to prepare
for the reason that the business was
carried on in various parts of Mex
leo. 1t was also a difficult case to
prosecute, due to the fact that the
Mexican Government does not permit
the removal of original records from
that country, and witnesses could not
be subpenaed.
TT was estimated that the promot-
ers of this scheme filched from the
public approximately $4,000, 900. They
were convicted and sentenced"
In 1913 the total number of persons
arreste by the postoffice inspectors
was $40 while in 1912 the number was
572.