Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-03

DENOUNCES FAKES
BECAUSE He KNOWS
Robert E. Hicks Atoning for
Misspent Time in His
Early Career.
AIDS "D0WN-AND- CUTTERS"

AIDS "D0WN-AND- CUTTERS"
Not often will you encounter the editor
Of successful magazine who:
Proudly states the happiest time OF his
life was a forty-day period he spent in
prison.
Spends most of his time trying to ''kill''
advertising copy.
Devotes his spare evenings to preaching
In missions to "down-and-outers."
Yet these are a few of the facts which
make of Robert E. Hicks, editor Of the
Specially Salesman Magazine. thriving
trade publication, what Is popularity term
ed a character"
He came to Washington this week on
a characteristic mission. A firm con-
ceived the -'get-rich-oui scheme OF
sending solicitors to clergymen in small
towns and cities to inquire whether any
needy women in their congregations oe-
sired employment.
Invariably the answer was in the at
frmative. Whereupon the solicitors pro-
ceeded to appoint the women named by
the clergymen as sales agents for them
stipulating only that they must purchase
ten-dollar sample case.
Brings Sample as Exhibit.
sample cases. estimated to be worth
about s2.5o. The articles therein included
a pair of shears, wholesale price, 1925
dozen. which the agent was supposed to
sell at As cents dozen, which the agent
was to sell for 25 cents, and coffee pots
worth from 10 to 25 cents apiece, which
were to be sold to housewives at IS cents.
MI oN11A fsrvz
of high priced, but practically valueless,
-aelal polish, rust remover, shampoo and
egg substitutes.
Mr.. Hicks has squelched many a junk
selling scheme of this sort, and some
of the vendors today are serving time
in penitentiaries. Moreover. he is
pioneer in the field of lining up news
papers for clean and honest advertising.
especially in the field Of barring from
their classified columns the detective
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES letter-addressing,
local-representative type of advestise-
ments-
Is Recognized by The Star.
The Evening Star was one of the
hrst papers to recognize my work in
close it's columns to fake advertis-
ing of this sort. but through it's action
ii Influenced many other big dailies to do
the same Today more than one-half
have eliminated fake advertising. but
1t is surprising to know some of those
which still accept advertising without
any question of the merits of the
wares.
More and more newspapers realize
that such fake advertising destroys
the value of advertisements of honest
business men,"
But back of this activity is the story
of how Mr.. Hicks undertook this
work:
Because I bunkoed the public my
self SO long in just the same way
! am doing pennance for the frauds
have perpetrated." is his surprising
explanation.
Il am not joking. 1 did, and was
sentenced for 1t to serve ten months
and pay a one-thousand-dollar fine.
For thirteen years / was a fugitive
from Justice. 1 went to Europe, spent
All I had accumulated. came back to
New York and sank to the lowest
depths.
Relates His Experience.
One night. when 1 had reached the
gutter. ! happened into the Manhattan
Gospel Hall. There I learned that
God could help men like me.
I turned square there. / found my
way back to decent life 1 married
and had two children, and I thought
was happy. But that was not enough.
Al the while, remember, l was q fugi-
spoke at missions and one night
an old man. just out Of Blackwells
Island prison, spoke at the Bowery
MISSION where 1 had been talking. He
had to pray lot before I got up
courage to do what knew I ought to
DO ! called up Anthony Comstock.
I told her to tell MI. Comstock thai
Robert Hicks wished to speak to him.
ana gave my address, for I was afraid
my courage would desert me before
he came to the phone.
"Comstock. knew me of old. He re-
1oiced IN my coming back. He tried
70 get my sentence annulled. But the
Judge and the district attorney could
nnd no legal way to do that
he Goes to Prison.
Over to BlackweIls 1 went. wb.n
they searched me I shuddered. when
they shaved me WINGED. and that first
night, with the means and groans and
curses Of other nrst niEhters blended
Of my wife and my children, and was
almost beside myself
Then I heard the strains of an or
zan. It played Ny Old Kentucky
was even worse. Then a pause, and
clear. sweet voice sang Nearer. NV
GOO. to Thee" and on the last verse
ABOUT l.2oo prison voices Joined in
L
called His promise that He would pour
out blessing to those who did His
viii So determined to do His work
mere IN prison. 1 did: And those forty
days. until heard that the President
NAG pardoned me. were truly the hap
piest days of my life"
But when he came out Hicks still told
himself. 81 have not done enoneb y
so ne started his work. through his
magazine, and through his personal in
sestieasions and reports to the Depart
partment, he succeeded in getting the
conviction of a number of the men VII
were IN the same fraudulent game he
Make of Sabotage q Fine Art
While he was in prison he was M, =,
charge OF four small printing presses
Tne men who worked with him bsd
aoS OF sabotage fine art. They failed
20 OIL presses, they broke parts and in
many other ways hard to detec1 In ~,