Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-08
SNINDLERS GET
s183,000,000|N
1918 IS REPORT
Chief Postoffice Inspector Ex-
poses Astounding Depredatious
Through Mail Order System.
By JONATHAN WINFIELD.


WASHINGTON, March Mail or
der swindiers Cleaned up" $133. Geo, Oo0
in the last three years. The figures
are found in the report of the chief
postof1ce inspector to the Postmas-
ter General for the year 1918
Fifty different brands Of schemers
ere classified, ranging from the pix
eK' 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
Ear In the lead. Next come land swim
dfes and fake medicines. Other fa-
enrite methods of mail swindling in
ciude the ordering Of goods under 1c-
Eifious names. issuing checks with no
funds, matrimonial bureaus, astrolo-
~. clairvoyance. fake detective agen-
r1es, fake banks, fake employment,
false death claims for insurance, re-
uuesting money for alleged valuable
papers Of deceased persons, and fake
enventions.
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 q
scheme Is enormous
MANY Of the takers begin operations
through the advertising columns OF
periodicals. Here is a sample adYer-
tisement of this class:
WHY work for others? ! will
guarantee you an income of 500
weekly. Write for particulars X. Z.
"
that looked pretty good 10 SIS
n-week bookkeeper, so he wrote Tor
particulars. The reply came that all
he had TO do was to take corre-
Bpondence course in Real Estate and
brokerage" for a few weeks, at the
cost Of 50 (cut from the usual price
Of $40, the prospectus said, when
diploma would be bestowed upon the
nnpil. certifying that he was fitted to
undertake all kinds of real estate and
brokerage.
Appeals Are Allurins.
Another attractive "offer" was thar
III a Western gentleman who threat
ened to teach the mail order business
sn a few weeks for ten dollars. The
tvpewritten appeal" OF this altruist
Was so similar in its general tone as
TO lead one to believe II was written
by the Real Estate Expert just mem
toned. Both documents contained
eneeious Arguments. impossible prom
iSes. AVID stopped over with eonpii-
fleftfs N the prospective correspond
ence pupil
The following Instance is cited from
The report as probably the most far
reaching OF its kind ever prosecuted
hy tae Postoflice Department" 1t being
estimated that S6,00O.0OO were taken
from the public By the promoters:
Gigantic Swindla Revealed.
'aThe cstensible business OF the In
ternatiOnal Lumber and Development
Company was 10 clear. plant ana
bring TO a high state Of tropical cul-
ture %, 00e acres of land located In
Mexico. Bv contracts entered into by
the several promoters In control OF
this company certain of them were to
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.
thousands of unfortunate purchas-
ers of contracts were unable to make
their monthly payment, and were
1apsed out 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. Of
Sices were maintained in Mobile, Ala;
Chicago, Ill, and Philadelphia.
Stole 100000.
"This case was difficult to prepare,
Tor the reason that the business was
carried on in various parts of Mex
leo. II was also a difficult case to
prosecute, due 10 the fact that the
Mexican Government does not permit
the removal of original records from
that country, and witnesses could not
be suhpenaed.
1T was estimated that the promot-
ers OF this scheme filched from the
public approximately s6,000.000, They
were convicted and sentenced"
In 1918 the total number of persons
arrested by the postoffice inspectors
was 510, while in 1912 the number was