Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-05-28

Win dire I0reDOdlngS. MOST or the dis
appointed recipients would aScrfbe the
seeming accident TO tough luck and let ~
II go at that
small percentage would complain to
Frank Cradams. Had the chiseler taken
care OF the few complaints. he would still
be Tree man. But, like all gyp artists,
Cradams was greedy. He refused to &C
cept responsibility for the breakage, and
some of the victims complained To the
authorities. An investigation uncovered
the racket, and now the would-be smart
guy is breaking rocks instead of glass.
The delivery of phony gift packages
by private messenger is racket which is
we'll nigh universal Atone time the sharp
shooters used the mails almost exclusively but
Uncle Samuel has cracked down. Nowadays cases
of mail fraud few and far between, but they
haven't vanished altogether.
AS witness the case of two gentlemen of Man
haitian. One William Ellison went into partner
ship with Irving Rubenfed-alias Robert l. Rich
They formed the United States Package Service
Company. According to their sales talk, the
company would mail gift packages to soldiers
overseas, at price which defied competition.
The gift box shown to prospective customers
contained a carton Of cigarettes complete toilet
kit and several other useful articles. The price
quoted less than the goods could be bought for
wholesale. Naturally, such bargain was quickly
snapped up. Business wasn't just booming-it
was looming.
One of the firms customers was a garment
workers union which ordered hundreds of the gift
packages sent TO members in the services. The
fraud was discovered through thank you" letters
received by the union.
- These letters furnished the clue as to how
packets could be sold so cheapy. Instead
vi a carton OF cigarettes there a single pack.
large tube Of shaving cream had shrunk TO
sample size. All the other articles had been re-
duced in proportion.
The two get-rich-quicl promoters are now be-
hind bars. Which doesn't mean the racket has
been abolished There plenty of other swim
dlers hoaxing the public with similar receptions.
ONE would think that package frauds would be
~ confined 10 picayunish operations with head.
quarters under the promoters hats. But recently
the Markets Commissioner Of New York Daniel
p. Wooley, announced he was investigating ma
tional chain store which purveying "gaudy
but phony' gift boxes to be sent to service men.
The box was fasebottomed and falsely labeled
Selling for 81 1t was worth half that.
The best protection against cheaters of this
ilk Is to be suspicious of all bargains Especially
in this day of shortages, when practically every
thing you think of is either rationed or un-
obtanable. There doesn't seem to be any shortage
of suckers. Perhaps they should be rationed.
Occasionally a mail fraud comes to a sudden
stop without the intervention Of the law. One mail
swinder found that out, much to his discom-
fort He had a small novelty store in border
town down Texas way. nearby Army camp
was troubled with coclxroaches. Seemingly the
bugs thrived poison spray and waxed fat on
the powders supposed to exterminate them
The swindler saw an opportunity to turn dis.
honest dollar. He rented a post office box and
advertised widely new invention-DEATH TO
VERMlN which was guaranteed to kin reaches
The PRICES cents.
Many of the soldiers, impatient at the Army's
failure to get rid of the reaches pronto. sent in
quarter for the insect killer. BY return mail they
received two wooden blocks with instructions
First catch roach and place on block No l.
Put block No. on top and squeeze gently. Death
will be instantaneous"
- Most of those swindled figured that the laugh
worth two bits and let il go at that. Not so
With one tall. unimaginatve Texan. He canvassed
the camp until he had the name of everyone who
had purchased DEATH TO VERMIN. Then he
applied for furlough, and headed directly for
the town from which the swindler operated
The vengeance seeker waited at the post office
until the sharpshooter showed up to collect an.
other dividend from his private gold mine Then
the Texan confronted him. presented his list of