MAIL SWINDLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10536, 10 August 1912, Page 1

MAIL SWINDLES.

Some of the mail swindles mentioned in a recent American cable message were lately described by the New York " Sun." THE DIPLOMA MILL. Undeniably (says the "Sun") the annual announcement of Carnegie University (chartered by the State of Delaware) is an impressive affair. It is a substantial booklet of 100 pages, with a cover of pale green decorated witli one of those cuts which lend respectability to city seals and heraldic documents. An imposing array of portraits of dignitaries greets you as soon as you turn tho cover. One by one, two by two, in groups of six, becapped and begowned. with austere mein, a dreadful earnestness in their glance, the P.D.'e, D.D.'s, Ch. E.'s (?), A.F.B.'s (?), Ost. D.'s, Drugless D.'s, Bloodless S.'s seem' to search your countenance and sound the depths of vour ignorance. And then to think that the president of the university, J. J- Homan Vanderheide. Ph. D., M.D., D.0., who has a beautiful Vandyke beard and moustache, should be a fugitive from justice, having with Olympic agility jumped his 3000dol bail. And in the same situation is James E. Lintott, M.A., Ph. D., secretary and treasurer, whose face also adorns the first page of the catalogue. To think-furthermore that an animal keeper once discharged from the New York Bide-a-Wee Home should also stare at you from those halftone pages, having accomplished a marvellous transformation and bloomed forth as the president of the board of regents of the aforesaid university. The gowns and caps—that is to say the one gown and one added so much to the impressive appearance of the faculty didn't even belong to the university. They are still hanging in the property room of a photographer at Dover, Del., who took the faculty when the board decided to put forth the annual announcement. After the men consider the buildings. Behold a big eight storey brownstone corner building. _ The title reads, " Old home of Carrieigie University, which it will continue to occupy, but on account of lack! of floor space a number of the departments will be removed to the new home."

Upon investigation it was found that the unive dtv really lacked floor space, for its vigantic nc ivit'es were all compressed into a space of 10ft by Bft, the rent of which was 30dol a month. A mw home was indeed needed.

Carnezie University had a New York —is it n I ranch or an office P The catalogue rails it " one of the affiliated infctLtutes." A beautiful building, as the picturo shows. Her© again scientific management had compressed all the N tional Institute of Me'hano Therapy | within the confines of a four-room roar flat. How the landlords could allow such modest tenants to let their sign ' sprawl over the facade of the two , b i'di gs is a mys'ery to those vho are i unfamilar with the processes of fake photography. . A' : ter the buildings come the diplomas, ment : on being male in evorv case th"t they are " especially suitable for framing. THE UNIVERSITY'S PROSPECTUS. After the diplomas is the text of the announcement, and there it nrast be confessed that those illustrious pedagogues who besides medicine, law and " all t''o arts and all the philosophies " teach play-writing and short story writing should have engaged the services of a professional. Witness the following gems: WHO SHODXD T*KK THESE COTTRSBsP The men or women (regardless of age or 1 cation) shcu'd take th fi course which they are interested in, in order to become a SUCCESS, to enter into exclusive (sic), honourable and well-paving profession, in which th-n- oa > be masters of their own time and ner?ry and dependent upon no one but th msefves. Thee are professions t'Tousrh which they can obtain wealth and t)} that st'-ugffling humanity is desirous of obtaining. WHAT OUR GRADUATES OF THESE COURSES ABB MAKING. About all of the graduates of these courses are receiving exceedingly large remunerations. EISTORICAL SKETCH. Carnegie University is the oldest, largest, best and most renowned institution of learning of its kind in the world. It was initiated, promoted and financed by a few of the world's greatest_ philanthropists, who have distinguished themselves in the financial as well as the professional world. The University was appropriately named in honour of Carnegie, a great philanthropist, who has done so much for the and promulgation of knowledge. The University Is a member of the American Assoeiat : on of Accredited Uni ersities, Collees and Institutes, and of the International Association of Accredted Universities and Colleges and Institutes. It is chartered under the 'aws of the commonwealth of Delaware with full University powers to give courses in ALL subjects and to grant degrees in ALL subjects-

WHAT DOES THE UNIVERSITY GIVB INSTRUCTION IN? By virtue of the powers invested in the University by the Government of the State of Delaware, it gives instruction in all Arts, Sciences and Philosophies. IN WHAT SUBJECTS DOES THE TOVrVERSITY GRANT DEGREES? By virtue of the powers invested m the University by the Government of the State of Delaware, the University grants appropriate degrees at the end of the required course of studies in all subjects. WHERE ARK THESE DEGREES LEGAL? The degrees granted by Carnegie University are legal throughout the world. Carnegie University has granted honorary degrees to Carnegie and many other prominent individuals in different walks of life.

DEGREES FOR THOSE WHO PAY. And then the reader is treated, to a historical essay on the State of Delaware, " which enjoy.; the unique distinction of having the most famous university of its kind within its borders."

At Carnegie University everything is taught by mail from calculus to footbail, from bloodless surgery to astronomy, from elementary Japanese to the history of the shorty—yea, that's the way the printer got it and the proofreader O.K.'d it —story. The attention of the post office sleuths was first attracted to Carnegie University by an advertisement which appeared some time ago, and which said: " Grand opening for men, women, Carnegie University (chartered under Delaware laws, incorporated for 100,000 dollars), desires representatives in every city, town on profit-sharing basis; 15dol weekly and liberal commission; representatives must invest 250d0l in 6 per cent guaranteed gilt-edged preferred' shares of university. Address, Registrar of Carnegie University, 128, West Sixty-sixth Street, New York." "Resides this advertisement the 6a£GK

STRANGE WAYS OF MAKING MONEY.

CLEVE& AMERICAN FRAUDS.

of Dover, Delaware, made their existence known to the public through a circular which read: "We herewith have the honour to inform you that the Board of Regents, officers and faculty of Carnegie University, chartered and incorporated for 100,000dol under the laws of Delaware, have decided at a .special meeting, to confer honorary degrees upon those la- ! dies and gentlemen of sufficient educaj tion who are willing to show, through their financial assistance or'otherwise, ! that they have the interest and welfare ' of the university at heart." It didn't take Chief Post Office Inspector Dickson much time to find the vulnerable points in the armour of the awe-inspiring faculty. Every statement oontained in the catalogue, the circulars and the advertisement concerning degrees, tuition, buildings, value of stock, degrees possessed by the instructors, being false, tbe_president and secretary were indicted, arrested and released on 3000dol bail. They failed to appear in Court when their case was called the other day., The rest of the faculty, beine scattered over the world in India, Hawaii, South Africa, Holland and Jersey City, and not having been very active in teaching sciences or in promoting the sale of stock, have not been molested. According; to Mr Yandiver, attorney for the County Medical Awtociation. who has been co-operating with Chief Inspector Dickson in driving out of business medical.fakers, there ore still four diploma mills doing business in this countrv and letting loose every yearon tho unsuspecting and lonfj-sufforing public hundreds of •'graduates " whose incompetence is ridiculous when it iB not tragic. DEAD MAN SCHEME. One picturesque line of business which the post office sleuths have probably blighted forever, as publicity is its deadliest enemy, is known as the dead man's scheme. In the hands of a Napoleon of business it could have yielded an extraordinary harvest. Three half baked geniuses tried their hand at it and bunded miserably. Whoever conceived first in his fertile brain the details of " the dead man scheme" must have been a keen psychologist. Mr X. dies. For several days, if not weeks, mail will reach his house addressed to the dead man, and especially if X's death wasn't preceded by a long illness he must have left a good many deals unfinished, a good many details of his business life unattended to.

One morning an envelope is brought by an express company. "C.O.D. three seventy-five,'' the expressman 6ings out with the usual modulation. What can that beP If the expressman happens to call just at the time when the family, worn out by several sleepless nights, is starting for the cemetery someone, to get rid of the expressman, will pay the money. At some other time an. inquisitive lation will insist on opening the package before accepting it. It contains a letter which reads: " My Dear Sir, —We have according to. vour .esteemed instructions of the

22nd inst. replaced gold filled stub on the enclosed fountain .pen by a fourteen carat stub. Deducting your previous remittance 1 of 2dol from the retail price of same, sdol 75 cents, leaves 3dol 75 cents still due.—Yours., " Of course X had never mentioned his dealings , with that fountain pen concern, But then he was in the habit of investigating little things like that he found advertised in the papers"We don't need that pen, - ' th* widow may perhaps reason with her children, " but poor father wanted it anyhow and we might as well get it since he had already paid 2dol on it." The 14 carat pen usually proves to be a disappointment, for it is the kind which is given free with a sdol box of cigars or a set of Poo's works. Poor father always was a little gullible his children reflect. It also leaks out a couple of days after X's de th *hat his morals • • • ah, well, he was human. For whom, — ah, heart re ding mystery—for whom had he been buying a diamond ring on the instalment plan? A letter has come which was opened by the family s»nd i- reveals cruelly th e shady side of X's lif ::

"My Dear Sir, —We are surprised at not bavin? heard from you this month regarding th© instalment now long past due on diamond ring No. 34379. As this is the last instalment we trust that you wil: nob, by failing to remit promptly 29d0l 83 cents, balance due sinoe May 1. forfeit the amount previously paid on this superb piece of jewellery. Unless we liear from you within ten days we will be obliged to place No. 34379 on eale." • A serious matter this! The family doesn't know what the diamond is .worth, but it cannot be worth less than 29d01 83 cents, e&pecially if X has already paid several instalments. And then the family hates to give the impression that nothing was known about that purchase; besides the family is simply aching to see the ring that father destined to—ah! perhaps there will be initials engraved on the fatal ring, a clue to—her identity. Usual v the family remits the money, for which it recives in due time a ring without any telltale initials and a stone so s :nll that it has to be located with a magni yng glass. Well, lather never had much of a business head, his children reflect. The adrerse fortune which befell a fe .• days ago W. H. M. Buike, professional exploiter of dead men, will clear up the mystery of the cold pen.and of the diamond ring, which in a good many families has left a dark shadow on a father's memory. BURKE SOLD STOCKS.

W. H. M. Burke, alias Lucius P. Wilsrn, hired a Utile office at 24, Stone Street, and furnished it with a desk and a stenographer's table. Also he I secured the services of a clipping burea 1, livery mo.ning at 9 o'clock he open d his mail, read clippings from hundreds of different cities and towns. From these clippi gs he made up a list of names and addresses and gave the list to his stenographer, who from tho m rni g to the closing hour wrote the folio,.ing le.ter to every one of the customers : "Dear Sir (or Madam).—Wo regret the . eav in forwa din? enclosed stock. Kin-il- forward money orderfor sdol, cost of same, and oblige.—W. H. M. Bare." The stenographer then put the letter in an envelope together with a cer-tifir-atp for five shares of stock of Porcupine Realty and Mines, Limited ; capital 50,000 dollars, a circular and a map of the "property." Had Mr Burke only used tho mails more frequently he might have escaped detection. Ho knew, though, that post office inspectors are wide awake and ho therefore sent his letters by express And thus he was caught, just as the fountain pen genius and the diamond ring genius had been fiucht. Express agents in c :otu, T.all towns were surprised at t.ne J ™sl\

on delivery letters they were asked tc deliver to dead men.' For the clipping bureau serving Mr Burke had been directed to cull obituary notices from many papers. Mr Burke's customers were all dead people. It is not known and may never be found out how many widows and orphans are now stockholders in Porcupine Realty and Mines, Limited. So valuable, however, was the stock of this "safe and attractive proposition'' that Mr Burke simply dumped into his waste paper basket not only the letters that had failed to land the prospect but the certificates as well. Now and then, of course, Mr Burke sent letters by mail, and after the express companies had called the post office's attention to those puzzling shipments to dead men one letter was traced, the dead man's son remitted the money by mail, Mr Burke acknowledged bv mail receipt of the remittance and a case was made against him for using' the mails with intent to" defraud.

Mr Burke's system showed ingenuity but was distinctly inferior to that used by the originators of the post-mortem of pens and diamonds. Notes in pencil or ink made by relatives returning Billv's shipment on the certific.nteK themselves or his own letter prove that he wasn't always taken very seriously.

"Ah, c:o on, yon schemer!" someone wrote, while a less slangy person with a sense of humour impersonated the dead man and jotted down in pencil the foLowing:— " Don't waste any more two cent stamps on me. lam dead."