Evening star., 1937-05-15

ments or other municipal or State
investigating bodies. For locating sus.
picious persons, the Post Office De-
partment is likewise the resort Of all
other investigating agencies.
A T THE moment, it is the aim Of
the postal inspection service to
break up the lottery racket, more
avaricious, even, than numerous other
shakedowns. In many mail frauds
some small value is sometimes given
in return for the victims money,
whereas fake lotteries deal only in
hopes of wealth suddenly and easily
acquired. Such hopes bring millions
OF dollars annually to the pockets Of
dealers in so-called sweepstakes tick
cts. Not content with bona fide lot
teries, where chances of success arc
slim enough. unscruplous persons
have flooded the United States in re-
cent years with tickets which are
counterfeits of those issued by the
operators of actual lotteries. More
than 200 such cases were investigated
during the fiscal year 1896, and the
figures for 1887 will be much greater,
according to present indications.
One dealer and nine associates in
Kansas City Mo, had sold more than
S26, 100000 worth of such tickets
when apprehended few years ago.
Eight convictions were secured.
Perhaps the most incredible and
despicable of all rackets is one vari-
ously known as the "glimmer" and the
Il. T. O." Il take it Off racket, in
which the victims are invariably
elderly persons in rural communities
with high gullibility average.
The "glimmer" racket is always
operated by a pair of men, imposing
in appearance and skilled as actors.
| They have found out previously,
sometimes through cooperating eye.
| glass peddlers, about persons near
| small communities wearing eyeglasses,
and with savings in the bank.
One man makes his entrance, say
ing that he is representative of an
optical company, sent around to check
up on the glasses. Test frames and
lenses are used, all of which distort
vision. The examiner becomes grave.
After much conversation and trying Of
lenses, through which no one could
see properly, the examiner says he
happens to have famous eye doctor
in the car with him, who has just
completed an operation in a rather
distant spot-perhaps he can per-
! suade this great man to come in, this
being most unusual and interesting
case.
The great man is persuaded. He,
too, becomes grave. A cataract Is
| forming and the patient will become
blind unless it is removed. That, he
declares, is easy. Any of the fine
American hospitals have competent
men who will remove 1t for around
$4,000 or $4,000. He prepares to de-
part, putting his lenses back in his
case.
RUT the other ICON" man protests.
you do not understand, SIR" ne
says. THAT is lot of money for these
people-it may be prohibitive" After
a great deal Of fine acting, to which
the elderly couple listen in terror, the
| doctor is persuaded to do the opera.
ton then and there, despite his pro-
tests about being put out of the Amer
| ican Medical Association and pre-
fessional ethics. The victims pledge
themselves to secrecy. There will be
no charge at ALL he says. Under the
| circumstances, he can't consider a
fee. But he will have to charge for
| the radium used, because that is val-
liable and belongs to the hospital.
The doctor gives a lot OF orders
about towels and boiled water, puts
the "radium water" (an ordinary eye
wash) in the eye and sends all but the
patient from the room. In the mean
time the doctor" has gone to his car
and placed in his mouth the skin lin.
ing from the inside of an eggshell Cr
some other thin membrane While
the patient has the wash in his eye
the doctor places this skin on the eye
ball and then removes it with a l5-
cent pair of tweezers.
He shows it to every one in the
household, but it must then be burned
contact with it will give cancer, ne
declares. The eye wash serves as q
measure for the price charged for the
'radium." 1t has been placed in the
eye, drop by drop, with the doctor
saying, $500, 5000" and so on up.
When the victim protests that he may
not be able to pay for more, it turns
| out that the correct amount has been
used. Sometimes the sum taken is as
low as $500. but more often it is ST..
| 900 or $4,000. The "glimmer men"
| accept cash, or cash the check at the
| bank at once and depart.
| If it is learned that the victims have
any more money word is passed along
to two additional men who call, saying
that they are physicians and have
come from the great man who has
| just been killed in an auto (or air.
plane) accident. He usually is sup
posed to have died in the speakers
arms but at any rate before his death
the speaker promised to return to the
old couple find out If the operation
had been success and II not to re-
turn the money.
The doctor" re-examines the pa
SACAAt anu dSllACNCS u AlC
Of distress. The cataract has not re-
turned but the patient has Cancer
os1s' or "cancerette" Of the eye. II
something isn't done about it loss Ct
sight and ultimately death will to
the result. The victim Is frantic. The
physician" extends ray of hope A
German scientist "Dr. Krupp" in
vented belt full Of radium designed
to cure that ailment but Krupp Is
dead and the secret Of his invention
died with him. However there are
six belts in xistence, all owned by
great hospitals in various parts of the
world. This doctor can get hold Of
one and the patient can have 1t for
10 days at $3.50 day.
Because of the value Of the belt,
however, the patient will be asked to
put up deposit Of $1,000 or $4,000