The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-11
MAD RUSH FOR
CHAIN LETTERS
SWEEPS CITY
Lottery Warning Fails to
Dull HySteria; Postal
Boxes Guarded.

Mail-a-dollar chain letter hys-
terra today continued to sweep In
dianapolis while police sought to
protect mail boxes against looting
for money-laden envelopes.
Office managers, who had forbid
den employees to discuss the scheme
during business hours, gave up in
despair, and public stenographers
worked late into the night to pre-
pare chain letters for clients who
waited in line.
In the Statehouse, the Courthouse
and the City Hall, employees checked
with one another to discover any
one who had received the antici-
pated avalanche of return letters.
The scheme was the sole topic of
conversation on the streets, in
homes, on street cars and in the
theater.
Meanwhile police and Federal au-
thorities awaited complaints of
frauds. which, they predict, will
flood them.
Violates Lottery Laws
From Washington. Postmaster
Adolph SeidenSticker was advised
by w. E. Kelly, acting Postoffice
Department solicitor, that "the So
called Send-a- dime chain letters
scheme and all similar enterprises
now being operated through the
mails are in violation of the postal
lottery and fraud statutes"
Police Chief Mike Morrissey yes
terday instructed his men to protect
mail boxes to prevent thieves break
ing into them seeking chain letter
envelopes.
Miss Frances McCready, 1909 N.
Pennsylvania-st, reported that her
mail box had been broken open and
large number of chain letters,
containing 81 and SIS bills stolen.
Officials Scan Statutes
Policemen we're told they might
participate in the hysteria if they
wish, but Chief MorrisSey warned
them against writing or talking
about chain letters while on duty.
A taxi driver, hired by a reporter,
asked: Have you any chain re-
turns yet?" before inquiring
"Where?" Two customers at a down
town bar had to wait for their mugs
Of beer while two bartenders argued
about the possible returns from
their letters.
Postal inspectors scanned heavy
law books and announced that pen
alties for lottery violations ranged
from $1,000 fine to two-years i'm
prisonment, and said, with emphasis
that the penalty might run as high
as five years in one of Uncle Sam S
big houses.
$500 Chain Is RumOred
A huge bale of chain letters has
been turned over to the Federal
authorities for investigation.
The SIS chain letters continued to
hold the center of popularity, but
there we're confirmed reports of a
$500 chair started in an Indianapolis
club.
Federal intervention to end the
hysteria was hampered by the in
ability of inspectors to open letters
without a search warrant. This re-
quirement of law prevents the stop
ping of all letters.
Printers Kept Busy
Federal officers said they would
seek out and arrest big chain letter
operators who have sent out hun
dreds of letters with their own
names at or near the top.
Printers reported they were over
run with orders for chain letters
in quantities ranging from 100 to
100000. In one instance an order
was placed for large quantity Of
letters to be mailed to names Sc
lected at random from a telephone
directory.
Plain cases Of fraud such as this
fall Under Federal examination.