The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-10
ANTE liked BY
CHAIN LETTER
CRANKS HERE
DELUXE OF Requests for 81
GIutS Market as Fad
Takes New Turn.
MANY NOTES ASK IS
Employers Give Warning to
Clerks; Craze Sweeps
Official Buildings.

INT4Alt UDlL- flIlkFilN dtf UtlDIN-
ing fueitivcs from 81 and 5 chain
letter raCkets
An oversold market today ap-
pearcd 70 be the next step IN the
neV chain letter craze which has
swept the city.
some Of the local Ponzis are re-
ported 70 have fathered the 81 and
s. letter idea. both as method Of
increasing the profits and 10 evade
the postal law on lotteries. T. isn't
Illegal IN send a 81 or s. bill through
the mail. as long as 10 isn't accom-
panied BY an Illegal proposition.
The s. chain letter appeared
strong today as a new and more
daring branch Of the racket that
started ont west with send-a dime
letters
Years ago when the chain letter
idea was started. no money was in
vOlved the recipient Of the Letter be-
ing required to send on number OF
copies OF prayers designed 10 bring
good luck.
OuginatOrs Of the present plague
decided not 10 bother with the
PRAYER but % insure good luck in the
form Of a flood Of dimes.
However. there Is one angle that
customers of the -rich-quick boys
appear 10 have overlooked and that
is that the supply Of victims is
dwi1dlInC fast because the 81 and s.
schemes are more or less confined To
a local market. whereas the dime
letter operates through the mails,
accompanied by the solicitation.
How the "Gyp" Works
The 81 "cvp" works like this: The
prospect buys A list of 10 names for
81 He makes two copies Of the lis,
and sells them 10 two other persons
Only FIVE names are on the IS lists.
The prospect places his own name
a. the bottom Of the list after first
mailing 81 10 the person at the top
Of The list That persons name then
Is dropped. No prospect is allowed
70 pass the list along without see
ing The recipient mail 81 to the
person whose name Is at the top
OF the list.
The trick is to get your name a.
the top of a lot of lists through
the progression system Of eliminat-
ing the top name and adding an
other Thens when the cash-in
comes.
Employers Sound Warning
Extravagant stories of how this
girl made $50 from a dime" and
this or that fellow has made 500
for 81" are the sales argument Of
those passing out the list UnqueS-
tiOna bly, a number of persons have
prohted. but those who fail 10 Get
theirs before the available market
rs overSold viii he left enjoying that
popular paStime Of holding the
has"
The craze has struck the State
house. CITY Hall and Courthouse
with vir1lenCe and Is making such
inrOsds into the business community
that many employers have warned
workers that participation in the
racket Will mean dismissal
Officials of one Indianapolis bank
are reported 10 have issued an order
that any employee even caught
reading a chain letter" during bust
ness hours will be dismissed.
Offers New Problem
Postmaster Adolph Seidensticker
declares he is powerleSs TO act until
he receives instructions from Wash
tt--e-re .r#f-1rr--l, ertrF
send dime" movement are illegal
because they solicit through the
mails
The 81 scheme carried on through
strictly personal solicitation. and
with the mails used only for send
ing the money. offers new prob
lem. it is said
Since the mails volume fluctuateS
under ordinary circumstances up
10 $4,000 pieces a DAY. no estimate
Of service increase because Of the
cham letters has been made yet. Mr..
Seidensticker said
Letter Carrier a Rooster
The craze has attained such pro-
portions that one letter carrier not
only IS participant. but puts out
bslvhoo for II.
He asked one woman patron. II
she received any chain letters and
receiving an Affirmative. queried:
What do YOU do with them9'
oh. throw them away or mail
them back when I know the peo-
pie. was the relOinder.
II don't" said the poStman. I've
got lot Of them out and the money
already has started 70 roll in
Chief Mike MorriSSey today issued
an order warning all district men
and squad cars 10 guard postal
boxes for attempted burglsrieS due
10 the large amount Of money IN
postal circulation coming from chain
letters