The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-05-10

saws the postoffice department, OIL al
seductive circulars from foreign
agents which offer to read your moro
scope and By doing so put you on the
road to health, prosperity and happl-
ness. All they ask is the small con-
sideration of two or three dollars
which. in deed, would be little enough
"a nav for these precious gifts if they
we're actually forthcoming. But here
is the rub--they are not.
Crafty crooks" are operating from
England, France and Holland in
creasing their incomes at the expense
of the superstitious and credulous.
The government has been investigat-
ing these fraud cases by the score,
,sbut their literature still flows into the
country. and despite all efforts Of the
postoffice authorities money orters
continue to be sent by trusting midi
yiduals who want to learn what the
future holds In store for Them
astrologers which the department has
collected in it's pursuit of evidence
makes entertaining reading, says the
Washington STAR They are clever
ture Everything within the scope
Of mortal desire is anticipated, and
their circulars promise the most de,
finite aid for overcoming troubles,
conquerng foes and achieving all the
desires of the soul, mind and body.
1T is incomprehensible to me- says
Judge Julien Switzerland, the assist
ant solicitor of the postoffice depart
ment, under whose direction the pros
ecution of these fraudulent cases is
carried on, how the public can be
duped year after year by these prom
Uses, which on their face are so fan
tastic and impossible. These 'astrol-
ogers,' of whom many are operating
with headquarters in the United
States as we'll as abroad, are crooks
out and out crooks. They know no
more about astrology than a kitten.
On going to their offices one finds a
few girls tipping form letters as fast
as they can run typewriter and the
professor or doctor-for by such titles
are these chaps generally known
sitting back opening mail and pocket
ing money orders
ITO illustrate just how big pocket
they need for their money rolls, the
department penalized one man who
made a yearly income out of his as
trology business amounting to $4,000.
This, remember, is built of single dol
lars contributed by the credulous ele-
ment of our American public. When
the department finally got him 1t was
estimated that he had filched 100000
during Is years of practice"
London Astroogers.
A great many of these fake astro
logical schemers operate from Lon
don. When the postoffice officials is
sue fraud orders against them, post
masters all over the country are pro-
made out to them When they real
lie that they have been detected, they
change their names and addresses ana
start mailing their enticing literature
to a new set of people. Sometimes the
government issues at least five or six
orders against one man before he
ceases his nefarious correspondence.
In reaching the takers who operate
from abroad, no effort is made to
prosecute them. Such action comes
within the province of the foreign au-
thorities, but this government does
prevent the certiflcation of their mon
ey orders. And this protects the AM
erican people.
The swindler sends preliminary cir
culars to persons in the United States
whose names and addresses are OBJ
tainable in various ways. He sets
forth in flowery language his interest
in the persons handwriting, a sample
of which he states he has seen. Or
he may begin by saying that a mutual
friend is anxious to have him learn
of the great astrologers ability to
discern the future The letter goes on
to say that the asfrologer has made
an investigation of matters relating
to the life of the addressee, when
show that he Is approaching period
of life which may be turned to great
advantage. The letter is concluded
with the words that an extended in
vestigation would assuredly disclose
with great precision many particulars
that can not fail to be of interest and
Abenefit, A remittance is requested
Band the seed is sown.
Inasmuch as it Is Impossible TO
make an investigation or reading OF
the life of an individual according to
rules of astroloey without the date
and time of the persons birth, the
falsity of these pretenses is apparent.
Evidence shows that these so-calleo
visions of good luck are awaiting
every one who chances to fall Wlthln
the list of persons addressed by the
astrologer Even the complete read
ings which follow the receipt of the
remittance only differ according 10
the birth date Of the person.