magic and real detectives-第9节

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good　or　bad　so　long　as　it　circulated。　　He　could　put　thousands　of

counterfeits　afloat　without　the　slightest　fear　of　detection。　　His

constituency　believed　in　him　and　would　stand　by　him。　　Currency　was

very　scarce　in　that　congressional　district；　and　it　would　really　be

doing　his　people　a　great　favor　to　give　them　more。　　After　setting

forth　the　mutual　benefits　to　accrue　from　trusting　him；　he　appealed

to　Wogan　&　Co。　with　the　vehemence　and　energy　of　the　sewing…machine

man；　or　life…insurance　agent；　to　send　on　the　goods　without　further

delay。　　They　should　never　regret　dealing　with　him；　his　character

and　standing　being　a　sufficient　guaranty　that　he　could　not　play

false。　　He　was　acting　in　good　faith；　and　expected　like　treatment　in

return。



Unfortunately　for　the　political　aspirations　of　〃Hon。〃　John　Whimpery

Brass；　the　authorities　not　long　after　made　a　descent　upon　the　den

of　Wogan　&　Co。；　finding　a　great　many　letters　from　credulous　fools；

and　a　large　supply　of　sawdusttheir　only　stock　in　trade。　　The

missives　of　the　prospective　congressman　were　published；　thus

gaining　much　more　extensive　currency　than　he　proposed　to　give　to

the　imitation　greenbacks。　　It　was　supposed　that　the　noisy　fellow

would　slink　away　to　some　cave　in　his　native　mountains；　and　never

show　his　brazen　face　among　honest　people　again。　　But　the　impudence

of　〃Hon。〃　John　Whimpery　Brass　rose　to　the　level　of　the　emergency。

Instead　of　hiding　or　hanging　himself；　he　published　a　card

representing　that　he　embarked　in　the　scheme　for　the　purpose　of

entrapping　Wogan　&　Co。　and　bringing　them　to　justice。



Pathetic　was　the　spectacle；　showing　the　confidence　of　an　ingenuous

soul　in　its　own　prowess；　of　the　volunteer　detective；　digging

parallels　on　the　southern　spurs　of　the　Blue　Ridge　for　the　capture

of　the　wily　swindler　a　thousand　miles　away！　　Armed　with　a　kernel　of

corn；　the　doughty　gosling　sets　forth　to　catch　the　wicked　fox　that

is　preying　on　the　flock！　　If　the　bold　mountaineers；　the

constituency　of　〃Hon。〃　John　Whimpery　Brass；　cannot　commend　the

discretion　displayed　by　the　projector　of　the　enterprise；　they　must

certainly　admire　his　pluck。　　In　face　of　the　odds；　few　goslings

would　volunteer。



Perhaps　the　card　might　have　been　accepted　by　the　more　trustful

class　of　adherents　as　a　satisfactory　explanation　of　the　letters；

had　not　the　aspiring　statesman　in　course　of　time　fallen　under　the

ban　of　the　law　for　defrauding　widows　of　their　pensions；　the

campaign　against　Wogan　&　Co。　having　so　completely　exhausted　the

virtue　of　the　amateur　who　planned　it　as　to　leave　no　residue　to

fructify　in　subsequent　operations。







THE　FORTUNE　OF　SETH　SAVAGE





At　one　time　the　bogus…lottery　men　drove　a　thrifty　business；　but　the

efforts；　virtually　co…operative；　of　the　post…office　department　and

of　the　legislatures　of　the　older　states；　have　latterly　pretty

effectually　forced　them　into　the　wilderness。　　The　managers　forage

on　the　same　class　of　people　as　the　sawdust　swindlers；　procuring

lists　of　names　in　the　same　way。　　A　common　method　of　procedure　is　to

inclose　with　advertisements　announcing　the　prizes；　together　with

the　place　and　date　of　drawing；　one　or　more　tickets　duly　numbered。

Great　confidence　is　expressed　in　the　personal　fitness　of　the　party

addressed；　who　is　requested　to　act　as　agent　for　the　sale　of　the

tickets。　　A　few　weeks　later　another　letter　is　sent　to　the　intended

victim；　informing　him　that　the　ticket　of　a　given　number　forwarded

to　him　at　such　a　date　had　drawn　a　prize；　the　value　of　which　is

variously　stated　from　a　few　hundred　to　many　thousand　dollars。　　He

is　then　requested　to　send　immediately　ten　dollarsmore　or　less

for　the　ticket；　perhaps　ten　or　twenty　more　for　additional　charges；

when　the　full　face　value　of　the　prize　will　be　forwarded　promptly　by

express；　check　on　New　York；　or　in　any　other　way　the　recipient　may

direct。　　He　is　also　told　to　antedate　the　letter；　the　intermediary

promising　to　blur　the　postmark　to　correspond；　so　that　the

remittance　may　appear　to　have　been　made　prior　to　the　drawing。　　In

conclusion　the　writer　adroitly　suggests　that　he　desires　the

fortunate　man　to　exhibit　the　money　to　his　neighbors；　stating　how　he

obtained　it；　and　mentioning　particularly　the　address　of　the　agent

from　whom　the　ticket　was　purchased；　the　object　being　to　create　an

excitement　in　the　place　with　a　view　to　large　sales　for　the　next

drawing。



Even　of　a　trick　as　transparent　as　this　the　victims　are　counted　by

thousands；　exposures　and　warnings　being　alike　disregarded。　　The

infatuation　of　a　certain　class　of　ignorant　and　credulous　people　is

well　illustrated　by　the　case　of　Seth　Savage；　a　poor　man　possessed

of　a　few　acres　in　the　vicinity　of　a　small　village　in　Vermont。　　One

day；　when　a　special　agent　of　wide　experience　happened　to　be

visiting　the　post…office；　Seth　received　a　letter；　the　perusal　of

which　threw　him　into　a　frenzy　of　excitement。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　inquired　the　postmaster。　　〃You　seem　to　have

good　news。〃



〃Look　a…here；〃　replied　Seth；　holding　forth　the　missive　in　his

shriveled　and　bony　fingers；　〃for　nigh　on　to　sixty…five　year；　Mr。

Martin；　I've　fit　and　work'd　and　work'd　and　fit　jest　for　my　vittles

and　drink。　　Neow　when　I'm　tew　old　tew　'joy　it；　a　fortin　comes　to

me。〃



〃Is　that　so？〃　answered　Mr。　Martin。　　〃I　am　very　glad；　but　tell　me；

what　is　it？　　Your　neighbors　will　all　be　glad　to　hear　of　your　good

luck。〃



〃Read　that；〃　said　Seth；　handing　him　the　letter　triumphantly。



The　postmaster　read　the　manuscript。　　One　Dewitt　of　New　York　City

assured　Mr。　Savage　that　a　certain　ticket　sent　to　him　a　month　before

had　drawn　a　prize　of　three　thousand　dollars；　that　on　receipt　of

thirty…five　dollars　in　a　letter　antedated　according　to　directions；

the　full　amount　would　be　forwarded　to　him。



〃Surely；　Seth；〃　expostulated　the　postmaster；　〃you　are　not　going　to

be　fooled　in　this　way。　　Dewitt　is　a　humbug；　a　swindler。〃



〃Neow；　heow　dew　yeou　know　that？〃　inquired　Seth。　　〃Has　he　ever

fool'd　yeou？〃



〃I　don't　deal　with　that　sort　of　people；〃　replied　Mr。　Martin　mildly。

〃I　dislike　to　see　anyone　wronged；　especially　a　neighbor。　　Here　is　a

gentleman　who　knows　all　about　such　matters。〃　　And　Seth　was　formally

introduced　to　the　special　agent；　who　took　pains　to　explain　the

character　of　the　swindle　fully。



The　officer　left　the　village　with　the　pleasant　assurance　that　his

brief　visit　had　contributed　at　least　toward　the　rescue　of　one　poor

object　from　the　jaws　of　the　devourer。



After　all；　however；　Seth　was　not　convinced。　　By　selling　his　only

cow　he　managed　to　swell　his　scanty　stock　of　cash　to　the　requisite

sum；　which　he　sent　to　Dewitt；　fully　expecting　to　be　able　in　a　few

days　to　confound　the　postmaster　by　the　actual　display　of　his　newly

gotten　wealth。　　The　dupe；　who　had　invested　a　goodly　portion　of　his

scanty　means　in　the　venture；　waited　long　if　not　patiently。　　At

length；　after　the　expiration　of　the　last　hope；　Mr。　Martin　inquired；

〃How　did　it　happen；　Seth；　that　you　threw　away　your　money　on　that

lottery　scamp；　when　we　showed　you　that　the　whole　thing　was　a

cheat？〃



〃Wall；　neow；　arter　it's　all　lost；〃　replied　Seth；　〃I'll　tell　yeou

jest　heow　'twas。　　Human　natur'　is　naturally　suspectin'。　　I　tho't

yeou　and　that　ar'　t'other　postoffis　fellah　want'd　to　git　the　prize

for　yeourselfs；　an'　I　didn't　mean　to　be　beat　so。〃







A　WISH　UNEXPECTEDLY　GRATIFIED





When　the　bogus…lottery　men　were　driven　out　of　the　large　cities　by

the　vigor　of　the　postal　authorities；　they　tried　for　a　while　to

operate　from　small　country　towns　by　collusion　with　dishonest

postmasters。　　As　the　delinquencies　of　the　offenders　were

successively　brought　to　light；　their　heads　rolled　into　the　basket

at　the　foot　of　the　official　guillotine。　　The　swindlers；　however；

succeeded　in　bribing　fresh　victims；　and　for　a　time　cunning　and

duplicity　managed　with　tolerable　success　to　maintain　a　foothold

against　the　power　of　the　department。



Among　other　similar　swindles；　sealed　circulars　were　at　one　time

scattered　broadcast　over　the　more　remote　states；　announcing　that　on

a　given　date　the　drawing　for　a　series　of　magnificent　prizes　would

take　place　at　Livingston　Hall；　No。　42　Elm　Avenue；　Wington　Junction；

Connecticut。　　Patrons　were　urged　to　remit　the　purchase…money　for

tickets　promptly；　as　there　would　be　no　postponement　of　the　grand

event　under　any　circumstances。　　〃Fortune；〃　continued　the　glittering

advertisement；　〃knocks　once　at　every　one's　door；　and　she　is　now

knocking　at　yours。〃



As　usual；　multitudes　swallowed　the　bait；　but　some；　instead　of

sending　the　greenbacks　to　Highfalutin　&　Co。；　forwarded　the

circulars　to　the　department。　　Thereupon　special　agent　Sharretts　was

instructed　to　visit　Wington　Junction；　with　the　view　of　learning

whether　the　postmaster　was　properly　discharging　his　duties。　　Taking

an　early　opportunity　to　perform　the　mission；　he　alighted　at　the

station　one　morning；　and　proceeded　to　survey　the　town；　which

consisted　of　four　or　five　houses　scat