Republican farmer., 1918-02-15
MEANEST OF ALI.
SW|NDLERS BUSY
IN ENGLAND NOW
Soulless Funeral Chasers"
Prey on Widows of Men
Killed In Action.
SCHEMERS PRESENT
VARIETY OF TRICKS
Sale of Souvenirs" Left by
Soldiers Most Common
Used by Cheats.

London, Feb. 13.-More light can
now be shed on the methods of that
most offensive and detestable of all
imposters, the man who callouslN Sc
lects his prey through the medium of
the casualty lists.
Several cases have come under no
tice in which the bereaved woman has
been cozened or badgered into buying
from persons her lamented husband
never heard of the personal souvenirs
and sacred "reminiscences they al
lege he left behind
The Dog Trick
The trick requires no brilliant i'm
agination nor great ingenuity, as the
following examples will show. The
first letter was from a SHARPLY in Bed
minister and it reached a orkshire
widow four days after the announce
ment that her husband had been kill
ed in action.
Dear Madam was very
much cut up when I heard of
your poor husbands death. He
was a thorough sport and straight
as a die.
He was a very warm friend of
mine, and the day before he went
to France he persuaded me to sell
him my splendid little fox terrier.
His intention was to bring it home
when he came on leave, and he
laughed when he said it would be
nice surprise for you.
AS he was my dear friend 1
only asked pounds for the dog,
but everybody knows he is worth
20 lbs. I agreed to board the
dog until your husband called for
him, and to buy a new collar with
the name on, which 1 have done.
l hope you can settle up with
me for your dear husbands sake;
he took such a pride in his pretty
| dog. The bill is: For the dog
pounds, four months board 3 lbs,
collar and name S.. Please send
| Treasury notes in registered let
ter. will send dog off same day.
The widow was unnaturally un
strung over her bereavement, and t.
her unsettled head the letter looked
plausible enough, but an astute frient
checked her just as she was fallin,
into the trap. The statement wa
wholly a connection from beginninj
to end.
There is certainly some milk in thi
same cocoanut, or the benevolent do
owner would not be wasting time, pa
per and stamps on it.
Camera Sharps
A man who is pushing sorrowin
widows, mothers, and sisters prett
hard refinforces his florid fables wit
a camera He is of the very common
est kind of carnivora, Astounding i
the garrison towns or making his lai
close by the training camp. His abid
ing mainstay is the casualty list, an
hot on the heels of family calamit
the stricken household makes a dis
covery like this:
Dear Mrs, - With sorrow W
have noticed the name of - in
! the latest list of killed, and we
send our sincere sympathy. We
also might mention that he was
photographed by US twice, on the
last occasion only a few hours
before he was called for the front
He saw the proof and was very
pleased with it, but he left before
the photos could be finished
We will send them on to you on
p receipt of los. and Cd. postage,
and you will be pleased with them
as well as satisfied at having dis
charged the deceased's obligation.
The last photograph and the "obl
cation" are the two hooks that gr
{ the victim in this heartless fraud, ar
many people who could i'll afford IL
d money have been ''stung"