The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-21
CHAIN LETTER
mania RACES
ON UNDATED
Hundreds Line Up at City
Denots to Take Part in
the Racket.
JUST GRAND PARADE
On They March, One by
One, All in Hope of Get
tinq a Fine Fortune.

More than 100 old faithfuls of
the chain letter racket gathered
early today at 129 w. Market-st,
the blue chain depot and largest in
the city, only to be told by the
promoters that the quarters would
have to be changed before business
opened.
Merchants complained bitterly
Yesterday to police that the 500 odd
persons lined up, each anxious to
send away dollar to some one I'M
known to him in the hopes that
many others would send back dol
lars to him, had blocked the door
ways and kept business out.
So the promoters selected a va
cant room upstairs at 116 N. Del
aware-st and by the time the
crowd had transferred there it had
grown to $50.
Other Quarters Sought
But the promoters were diSsatis-
fled with the new quarters, because
of sharp turn in the stairway
leading to the offices, and started
out in search of others. BY $50 the
crowd had grown to 500 and there
were loud and inSiStent cries that
business of the day be started.
Shortly thereafter the promoters
gave Police Sergt Clifford Richter
the address of large and spacious
room at 225 E. Ohio-st and Sergt.
Richter began lining up the dollar
senders to march them over.
Sergt. Richter said he would not
tell them where they we're bound
for fear they then would break line
and run for it, precipitating a
minor riot.
AS they marched single file, with
Sergt. Richter at the head, over to
the E. Ohio-st address, they en-
countered a line of about 100
patrons to the yellow chain, oper-
ated by Robert S. Stewart, and hav-
ing offices at 215 E. Ohio-st.
Other Offices Opened
Another depot started this morn
ing at % S. Illinois-st and another
at Maryland and PennSylvania-s ts.
Meanwhile, for technical reasons,
the postoffice department withdrew
mail bags from the depots, and the
promoters were forced to supply
their own bags.
When business opened, Sergt.
Richter's attention was directed to
a prospective young mother, at the
rear of the line, who said she in
tended to invest 81 in chain letter
in the hope that it would return
enough money to pay the medical
and hospital bills.
He advanced her arbitrarily to the
first of the line and no one pro-
tested. An oldish woman conflded
to her neighbor that she was in
veSting her dollar in the hope that
the returns would pay for an OPP
Grafton for her husband.
Patronage Is Solicited
Midday through the morning
another depot opened at 312 E.
Ohio-st and sent runners up and
down the street soliciting patron
age.
1t was generally estimated by
promoters that good days busi-
ness would mail 1000 letters, but
other observers said the number was
far over that.
A young man and his girl told
Sergt. Richter they hoped to finance
their marriage through chain letters
and still another customer said she
hoped to profit sufficiently to send
her son to Arizona to cure his tuber-
culoSiS.
Shortly after noon the lines began
to thin out, and the pressure was
being put on by those who had to
dispose of the letters at a dollar
each. There was no disorder.