Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-20
GET MONEY EASY
BUREAU IS ENDED
Managing Editor" Dissolves
Concern to Avoid Fraud
Order.
MAKES A WEAK DEFENSE
Washington Establishment Sold Keys
to Literary Success at 81
Apiece.

Washington, ID. C., March 2O.-Srm,
ner Curtis sends the following story
to the Chicago-Record Herald:
The Washington Press Bureau
which has been doing a lucrative bust
ness during the last few months, bring
ing to its managing editor" II. ID.
Hitchcock, an income OF $500 per
week, was Involuntary dissolved yes
terday. Dissolution was the alterna-
tive of a fraud order which the post
master general was prepared to issue,
following a hearing yesterday at
which Mr.. Hitchcock's get-money-easy
scheme was shown up by the postor-
flee inspectors and mildly defended
by the proprietor of the bureau.
Record-Herald readers have been
made fully acquainted with the oper-
ations OF "press bureaus that have
been mulcting suckers to the tune of
from 81 to IS head through promul-
CATION of a system" that would en-
able persons without literary ability
or previous experience to make all
kinds of money by writing for news
papers in their spare moments. Such
traditional green bay tree. and the
Hitchcock concern was a glaring illus
tration of the easy manner in which
the CTedulous are separated from their
money. There are more bureaus of
the same sort operating from the ma
tional capital, and it is expected they
will receive the attention of postoffice
authorities. now that a start has been
made.
Made One Bluff
Hitchcock and his bureau" made
scarcely more than a bluff at defend
ing the alleged legitimacy OF the
scheme when the matter was brought
10 an issue at the instance of The Chi
cago Record-Herald. 1t was a nice
thing-while 1t lasted-for the faker
and there is no telling how many
thousands of dupes would have con-
tributed their 80 each to the promoter
If the operations had not been brought
to sudden halt An unqualified fraud
order would have been issued save for
the fact that the evidence did not
show any criminal intent to defraud
on the part of Hitchcock. To save
himself from a fraud order. however,
late yesterday filed the fol-
lowing affidavit
Il, Harry ID. Hitchcock. being first
duly sworn, depose and say that am
the proprietor of the business hereto
fore done under the name washing
ton Press Bureau, Washington, d. c.:
that this business has been absolutely /
abandoned and will not be resumed at |
any time in the future; that will not !
at any time in the future conduct any |
similar business, and the postmaster /
at Washington, d. c.. is hereby author
lied to treat all mail which may be
received by him addressed to the'l
Press Bureau or II. ID.
Hitchcock as managing editor as un-
Claimed
Editors Itch for Copy.
Thus passes one OF the get-rich-quick
frauds that had an Illuminating exist
ence-although the illumination evil
iently would not have been of benefit
o the sucker element IL the postoffice
department had not stepped in to ap-
ply the brake. II was the Hitchcock
heory that the editors of the country
we're just itching for copy. and that
he only trouble was that not enough
writer's were available to supply the
demand. So Hitchcock devised "sys-
EN-" which was about as trite as the
proposition that two and two make
our" or that the sun rises in the east
nd sets in the west. For transmitting
bout Is cents worth-cost OF printing
My reckoned-of commonplace know
edge relative to newspaper writing
Hitchcock was soaking the suckers at
he rate of 81 a head.
In the opinion of the legal author
ties of the postofice department the
'ravity OF his scheme was that he
lisled persons OF mediocre ability; no
bility at all; persons who imagine I
here Is some royal road into liter
ture, regardless OF experience, talent I