A CLEVER SWINDLE.

Evening Star, Issue 4361, 19 February 1877, Page 4

A CLEVER SWINDLE.

There are very clever women in America. This is how a Boston girl proved it. She advertised largely in the newspapers that 100,000 cabinet portraits of an unknown beauty reared in the lap ofluxury, and highly accomplished, would be sent by post for one dollar each. With each picture was to be given a card showing the height, waist measure, and size of boot worn by the lady, and the purchaser was to guess at her weight. Tlie party coming nearest the actual fact was to be given 20,0D0d01. The lady was to take 25,000d01., the managers 25,000d01., and it was estimated that the balance of the l()0,000dol. would be required for sundry expenses. The 4th September was lixed for sundry unveilings in presence of the ticket holders. A grand central office was taken, agencies were

established, and everything went swimmingly, the dollars coming in fast. The detectives, however, appeared ©n the scene and arrested the manager, <vho is practically described as " Samuel Sauibom, a middle aged, rather dumpy, red-faced man with a pug nose and quiet ways." The " veiled beauty " had decamped. Letters had been received from all parts of the country, and curiously enough many of the writers were women. One man wrote "the fools are not all dead yet, send me two pictures."