New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-17
Hepatola Company Claims
False, Postoffice So
licitor Finds
Realty Concerns Out
A. Elwood Lancaster & Sons
and Success Realty Co. in
Fraudulent Class

Persons may continue 10 take the
"sure cure" for all liver and abdominal
ills manufactured by the Hepatola
Company, of Columbia. Ohio, if they
choose. But the Postofhce Department
has refused to leave open its mails TO
the concerns literature.
The Hepatola Company was barred
from the mails last week, together with
two real estate companies. who mailed
70 the unsuspecting claims about their
businesses, which even Uncle sam
couldn't stand. The two latter ou,easts
are the Success Realty Company, Of
Oklahoma City. Okla, operators of
suburban development" and A. Eli
wood Lancaster & Sons, of Philadelphia,
who are anxious to sell property for the
gulless. and seldom do, according to
the solicitor Of the Postofiice Depart
ment.
Dr.. V. II. George is the Hepatola
Company. He is also the Hepatola
Sales Company. which markets his
product. The postal authorities have
been investigating Dr. George and his
cure for almost n year
The remedy consists Of powder and
an OIL The first, the postoiiice oihclals
say, is plain seidlitz powder; the see
ond olive oil. coal tar dive and pepper
mint. The circulars which DR.. George
has hitherto sent through the mails
announce valiantly that the remedies
are an absolute and Infallible cure for
gall stones. appendicitis and other alb
dominal troubles.
Expert medical evidence before this
Office" j. J. Switzerland, acting solicit
tor for the department, says, shows
concmsively that these claims are WITH
out foundation. l ma thaS
this is a scheme for obtaining money
! through the mails by means OF false
and fraudulent pretences, representa-
tons and promises"
Clarence r. Ball is the head Of the
Success Realty Company. Mr.. Ball -
not actively engaged in fleeing the UNI
wary. the postotlice announces. lie ~
at present doing fifteen months IN the
Atlanta peuitentiary for his activity In
his company.
"The business Of the company" Mr..
Southerland's report says, "is the OBJ
tanning of remittances of money
through the mails from the sale OF lots
in a property called Wright Place
situated about fifteen miles from Okla
homa City"
Success Company Claims False
The claims made for the property by
the Success concern are that there are
immediate oil prospects IN the vicinity
that they are located in a thriving
suburb of Oklahoma City; that they
are close TO hundreds OF factories
churches and schools; that the Success
company guarantees to accept any iot
in Wright Place as partial pay
ment upon any lot it owns IN Oklahoma
City. -.
All of these claims the solicitor
brands as false. "The evidence further
discloses the fact" he says, that more
than fifty of these lots have been SOFA
by the respondents two or more times
and that two or more persons now hola
deeds to the same lots" 80,
Concerning the activities Of A. Eli
wood Lancaster & Sons, OF Phladel-
phia. the solicitor says:
Their method is to watch the adVer
Using columns Of the newspapers, ana
thereby get into communication WIN
any persons who advertise property ior
sale Immediately upon dlscoFelhe
such an advertisement they address
communication 10 the person inserting
the same, TO the effect that they are IN
a position to market his property, that
they have buyers for the special prop
erty advertised. and that they can and
will. if employed and paid to do so, soil
such property.
When the gullible one has paid his
fee and has waited patiently for a re-
suit ne generally writes to the concern,
complaining Of their slowness.
The company replies, the solicitor
saws. By a form letter announcing that
they are making every effort to fulfil
the bargain, and inclosing clipping
(which will give you an idea Of how we
have been advertising the property"
"The advertisement" the report
states, sis a part Of the fraudulent
scheme, for, while ostensibly inserted
for the purpose Of making sale Of the
property, il is in reality used as an ef-
fort to convince the victim of the fraud
that the perpetrator thereof is honestly
trying TO sell the property.
1.-THE promoters Of this scheme are
adopts in avoiding persons whom they
have defrsuded. and apt at providing
means for Withholding information
which their contractual relations obli-
yates them TO give"