Milford chronicle., 1955-02-11
Contest Cash Brings
IFS Headaches
By CYNTHIA LOWRY

BY CYNTHIA LOWRY
AP NeWsfouiUFes
There was rejoicing for almost
two hours the other night at the
home of an acquaintance when the
big news was announced in the
evening paper. She had won the
$1,000 first prize in the papers
current puzzle contest.
The circumstances couldn't have
been more pleasant. She was re-
covering from an expensive ill
ness, so the money was more than
welcome. The contest itself had
helped the long hours of conva-
lescence to pass more quickly.
Then the telephone rang and the
wOman-whOm I'll call Jane
picked up the instrument expect
ing to hear cOngratulatOry words
from some friend. Instead, to her
shock, she was treated to a muffled
string of Obscenities. When she
hung up, the anonymous caller
rang again. James son took over
the phOne-ansWering chore.
The next morning the mail start.
cd to flood In and It increased daily.
Some Of the letters were bland
suggestions that she use her wind
fall IN q variety Of ways, including
getting on the inside track by buy
Ing some lOWspFiCed shares On q
uranium outfit. An inventor on the
verge Of patenting q new mixing
device UrRed her TO underWFite
him In his venture and receive
half Of the take.
But there were other letters, and
some of them were upsetting. One
was a communication with a def
nitely threatening tone from a man
who said he was veteran, had
entered the same contest, submitted
the same answers. He didn't say
EXACTLY what he proposed to
do, but implied she'd be sorry if
she didn't at least split the prize.
He concluded with a pitiful de-
scFiptiOn of his financial situation,
his hungry children and begged
for helD-tO be sent to a post office
box.
There were a number of anony-
nous letters, too. in many kinds of
handwriting and bearing widely
scattered pOstmarks. Some were
crazily abusive. Others were OBJ
scene.
She actually received a number
Of bills from sPlf.pTOclaimed cFed-
itOrS OF whom she had never heard,
much less had dealings.
Then the dOOrbell started to ring.
The parade of statesmen started,
wanting to provide her with every
thing from furniture to automO-
Diles, from remOdeling jobs to new
houses. One hopeful presented her
with a cODy of her prize winning
entry neatly enclosed in the middle
Of hunk Of glass. 1t had large
pTice-tag attached, and the woman
was bitter when Jane rejected it
and firmly closed the door.
Jane had her telehone switched
to an unlisted number after the
first day. Not only were people
calling every few seconds trying
to sell her something, but there
were other anonymous callers
There was one unpleasant screw
ball who repeatedly telephOned
and then never said a word, just
breathed heavily into the mouth
piece. Not only that, more strang-
ers called and tried to persuade
her she owed them varying sums
of money.
The disagreeable attention con
tinued for weeks. Jane now be-
lieves that she's on every sucker
list in the countryside has takeH
to rejecting any packages the post
man brings because she has beer
sent so many unsolicited articles
complete with bill, of course.
Right now she sort of wishes
she'd never been a winner. Tn,
bombaTdment has been thoroughly
unpleasant, and she has become
rather cynical about people.
| @COntestS are fun" she said
"But / haven't had a minutes
/ pleasure since / won one"
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