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CHRISTMAS IS COMING. AND IT'S UP TO YOU!
You Know You Have Just Got to Give Presents. Make it Something Musical and Get it from
Ludden & Bstcs sout music house.
Get a Piano now, and besides receiving a present of $25 from us, guess at the total number of sales of
Pianos and Organs we make during \9oh,
and maybe get your instrument absolutely free.
We sell the famous Chickering, Mathushek,
Everett, Ludden & Bates, Kohler & Campbell,
Ivets & Pond, and Lester Pianos. Our Chick
wrings and Mathusheks received the diplomas of
highest awards at the last Georgia State Fair at
Macon.
Our stock of small musical goods is most com
plete. We have everything from a grand piano to
a Harmonica, and notable in the array is the
wonderful Estey Organ.
ijfflii'fcKlift isF jjj|jfj
THE ROBBERY
OF IMMIGRANTS
$100,000,000 A YEAR
STOLEN FROM THEM BY FRAUDU
LENT “BANKERS.”
Most of the Money is That Which
the Immigrants Try to Send Home.
The So-Called “Bankers” Adver
tise in Foreign Tongues, and Send
Out Alluring Circulars by the Tou.
Amsiing Revelations of an In
credible System of Fraud Which
Spreads Like a Network All Over
the Country.
By William Thorp.
New York, Dec. 3.—"lf I said that
the immigrants In this country are
swindled annually out of one hundred
millions of dollars which they attempt
to remit to their people at home, I
believe that I should be well within
the mark," said a New York banker,
whose name is a household word all
over America, the other day. “Of
course, It is impossible to compute the
sum, but from what has come to light
reoently I think that is a conservative
estimate. Individual immigrants are
frequently robbed of a hundred dollars
or more by rascals who profess to for
ward the money to Europe for them,”
There are hundreds. If not thousands,
of men regularly conducting this
swindling business. New York is the
prinoipal center of their operations, but
they work in every city where there
are enough foreign Immigrants to
make it worth their while.
Flicked of Millions.
Month by month, and year by year,
they filch many millions of dollars out
of the pockets of the most ignorant
and helpless of the Immigrants. The
matter has been a national scandal for
years, but little has been heard of it
*>y the public and almost nothing has
been done to stop it. Only within
the past few weeks have steps been
taken to abate the evil by a private
agitation among reputable bankers in
New York city, who are now combin
ing to secure state and federal legis
lation on the subject.
It is difficult to understand why any
criminally Inclined person should em
brace the difficult and hazardous call
ings of the footpad, the pickpocket
and the burglar, when he can with ease
become an immigrants' "banker” and
THE CABLE COMPANY,
MANUFACTURERS OF
PIANOS AND ORGANS.
Buy your Piano from us and save middle man’s
profit.
The finest line and largest stock of Pianos at closer
prices than ever before.
THE CABLE COMPANY,
S S SOLLEE, Manager
Ludden & Bates Southern Music House,
Savannah, Ga.
Valdosta, Ga. (Carter & Dorough.)
simply coin money with hardly any
trouble and very little risk.
There are hundreds of so-called
"banks” in New York city, Chicago,
Pittsburg, Cleveland, Philadelphia and
other large centers of alien population,
which exist for the sole and simple
purpose of swindling immigrants out
of the money they desire to remit to
their families for their support, or to
pay for their passages to America.
Some of these banks, which invariably
have high-sounding titles and Issue
alluring advertisements, cater to Slavs,
others to Italians, others to Greeks,
and yet others to Polish and Russian
Jews. Every nationality, In fact, has
its own special flock of vampires prey
ing upon it.
How the Swindle la Worked.
The procedure of the swindler is
very simple. They do not need even
as much as $lO capital with which to
start their “bank." All they need to
do is to take a cheap room in a tene
ment on the East Side of New York,
or ’Some other city, and hang out a
shingle announcing that they are
"bankers,” and in the business of re
mitting money to Europe and buying
tickets for people there who desire to
come to this country. They nearly
always belong to the nationality they
desire to defraud, and their announce
ment is couched in the native tongue.
Their victims are usually persons who
cannot read or write English.
Pretty soon the so-called "banker"
gets his customers. He goes around
among his own countrymen, and a few
days after he has opened up his busi
ness they begin to drift into his one
room office and entrust their hard
earned savings to him.
“I want to send SSO to my old father
and mother In Hungary," says a burly
Slav, who has saved the money while
working as a laborer and living on a
few cents a day. He names the little
village in Hungary where the old peo
ple live, and the "banker” makes a
careful note of it on an official-looking
sheet of paper.
The Guileless Foreigner.
This impresses the guileless laborer,
and he is quite likely to go away with
out eveu asking for a receipt. If he
does remember to do so, he is no bet
ter off. The "banker” puts the money
in his own pocket, anyway. Sending
R to Hungary would be the last thing
to enter his thoughts.
After he has found a dozen or so
"easy marks" of this character, the
formerly penniless "banker" has
enough money to advertise extensively
In the papers printed In his native
tongue, to send out alluring circulars
by the thousand, and generally engage
In an extensive business. Money sim
ply pours Info his coffers from all
parts of the country where Immigrants
of hls own race dwell, and when
things grow too hot for him he can
pull up stakes, with a tidy fortune, and
start the same swindle somewhere else
under another name.
Their Innocence Incredible.
The guilelessness of some of the more
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. DECEMBER 4. 1904
ignorant and illiterate among the im
migrants is simply incredible to a
man of average business intelligence.
They will not trust their money to the
money order branch of the United
States postofflee. They believe that
when it goes through that mysterious
window it will never come out again.
Likely enough, their experience of
government methods and government
officials In Europe has not been happy.
Then, too, they do not know English
aqd so cannot make their wishes
known to the money order clerk, or fill
the necessary forms. But they are
quite willing to trust the "banker”
whom they can see face to face, the
man who speaks to them and writes
to them in their own tongue, and who
seems to know exactly what they
want.
Here Is a typical case which Illus
trates the rise and progress of one of
these men. The other day an Austrian
named Kaiser, allowed out on ball by
a New York Judge on a charge of de
frauding a countryman, forfeited bis
bond and fled from American Juris
diction with a fortune.
Less than a year before he was
working as a laborer for $6 a week.
Then h became a runner for an im
migrants’ boarding house, and, being
a clever rogue, soon realized that he
might make money as a "banker."
He took a tiny room on the second
floor of a ramshackle East Side tene
ment, and hung out hls shingle. He
was In business for eight months, and
during that time he never remitted
across the ocean a single dollar he re
ceived. As the result, he was able to
take more than $25,000 with him when
he fled. He could not even have been
brought into court here had he not
branched out into another and more
dangerous line of crime—trying to
swindle a fellow countryman by means
of a fraudulent partnership.
The Fraud* Are Hard to Prove.
“It is most difficult to run down
these cases and punish the guilty
parties," said Ignatius Weltner. a
prominent New York lawyer, who has
interested himself keenly In the frauds
at the request of the Austrian consul
general. "It is almost impossible to
obtain legal proof on which a court
will convict. The only thing to do,
as the law stands at present, is to
trap the alleged 'banker' In some way,
or frighten him into an admission of
guilt.
"Frequently, the man who says that
he has paid over the money, and that
hls people pn the other side have not
received It, has not even got a reeclpt
to show. It Is simply a case of hls
word against the other man's. Even
If he has the receipt, the 'banker'
swears that he duly forwarded the
money, and how are you going to
prove it was not lost In transit?
"I was talking about a particularly
flagrant case with three laymen the
other day and they all exclaimed,
‘Why. it ought to be the easiest thing
In the world to railroad the scamp to
the penitentiary!’ I told them I didn't
believe it was possible, but they could
not see why, so I asked them to come
with me to the district attorney's of
fice.
"I laid the case before an assistant
district attorney, in their presence,
and he listened patiently. It was a
case in which dozens of men com
plained that they had been swindled
by ’the same person. They had their
receipts to show, and letters from the
people to whom they had tried to re
mit, saying that the money had not
arrived, after many months of wait
ing for It.
Guilty i But Unpunished.
"When I had finished, the assistant
district attorney turned to me and
said:
"Of course, the man Is guilty; hut
you know as well as I do that there
is no case with which to go Into court.
You know that if I were prosecuting
It and you were defending, you would
slmplay play football with It. Bup
pose even that you could bring the
CUT THIS OUT
This Is Good for $25 on the Purchase
of a Piano.
This Is good for $25 on the
Purchase of a Piano.
Mail Tills to
LUDDEN & BATES,
Savannah, Gn.; Tampa, Fla.; Valdosta,
Ga. (Carter & norough); Tifton, Ga.
(Carter & Dorough), or deliver it to
one of our representatives, idling in
the following blanks:
\ame
Address
Date
The Offer Is Good Up to
December I.
people from Europe to swear they
never got the money, how would that
help you? You have got to prove that
he didn’t send It; for It is not up to
hhv to show that he did. You might
subpoena the records of the money or
der branch of the postofflee, but even
those wouldn't help. He might say
that he remitted the money through
the ordinary mall, or through a bank
er, or by a man going to Europe, or
in any one of a hundred ways; and
you couldn't prove that he was lying.
The Judge might be morally sure that
he was, but he could not be legally
sure.”
This Is why these widespread frauds,
extending all over the country and
victimizing Immigrants of nearly ev
ery nationality, have gone on for years
with comparative Impunity, and have
“of late assumed proportions never
heard of before”—to quote a private
cricular on the subject recently Is
sued to the reputable bankers of New
York city.
The Queer Case of Goldberg.
But occasionally the rogues meet
with their deserts. Mr. Weltner and
hls partner, Edward A. Alexander.
ha\e managed to send a few of them
to the penitentiary, and have forced
others to disgorge their ill-gotten
gains. Still others, like Kairer, havo
“Jumped their bail" and absconded
when there was really no case that
could have been proved against them.
Of all these cases the most Interest
ing is that of a Hungarian named
Goldberg.
He swindled Hungarians and Slavs
generally on the East Side of New
York for a long time, and amassed a
fortune estimated at hundreds of
thousands of dollars. Then Mr. Welt
ner got on his trail and had him ar
rested. He was let out on ball and ab
sconded. going back to his native
land.
But they have a good law In Hun
gary which says that any Hungarian
citizen who commits a crime abroad
may be tried and punished for it in
Hungary, if he returns there. Gold
berg's record followed him. and he
was promptly flung into Jail.
"But I am not a Hungarian citizen,”
he protested. "I am a naturalized
American citizen.” And he showed
hls papers to prove It.
This staggered the Hungarian offi
cials for a moment, but only for a mo
ment. They promptly turned to an
other section of the law, which pro
vides that even a subject who has be
come naturalized abroad can be prose
cuted If the government gives special
authority. The government hastened
to do so, and Goldberg is now' serving
a five years' term in a Hungarian
prison for the crime which he com
mitted in New York. Hungary cer
tainly haa an unusually keen sense of
Its responsibility for Its erring sub
jects.
Another man. named Wolframm. a
German, practiced the same fraud sys
tematically for over fifteen years In
New York, employing a large staff and
advertising extensively all over the
United States. When at last he fled
the country, he carried over $2,000,000
with him.
PATENTS
Our Band Book on Patents,Trad.-M.rk*.
etc.. Mnt fr*. Patent, procured through
Munn A Cos., recelre tire* none, lo tb.
SnssTiTO American
MUNN As CX)., 361 Broadway, N. Y.
BsascsOvrics : sir. T St.. Wiihiacton, D. C.
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Guitars, Mandolins and Banjos of the famous
Washburn and Rex makes we sell, and an assort
ment of Violins of the best makers.
All the latest Sheet Music is kept by a system
that enables us to supply a customer at once.
Talking Machines and Phonographs form a feat
ure of our store that visitors enjoy. Come and
hear them, and note our prices on the best instru
ments made.
We give prompt attention to all mail orders for
Musical Goods and Sheet Music, and the reputa
tion and reliability of Ludden & Bates render
patrons perfectly safe in trusting to us to supply
them with what they may order by mail.
This Is Good for $25 on the
Purchase of a Piano.
Tampa, Rla.
Tifton, Ga. (Carter & Dorotigh.)
THE PASSING OF
OLD LUDLOW JAIL
NEW YORK’S ANCIENT PRISON
ITS WALLS COULD TELL OF TEARS
AND TRAGEDIES.
A Debtor* Prison In Which Opprea
■lon Hn* Bern Practiced for Year*.
More Than Half It* Inmute* for
the Lu*t Four Year* Victim* of
I.nacrupulon* People—A Collection
Bureau for Extortionist*.
New York, Dec. 3.—With but seven
prisoners left within Its old walls,
Ludlow street jail has undoubtedly
seen its best days. It may stand on
for years, but if the New York Legis
lature passes a bill which has been
drafted, there will be but little busi
ness left for the ancient prison. The
tragedies and tears which Its cells
could tell were they empowered with
speech will be merely memories of the
past. The men who have grown rich
by placing unfortunate debtors behind
■
MRS. SOPHIE AX HA.ft. THIS “SEW AJfQKL." OF “THE TOMBS."
New York, Dec. *.—On Dec. 1 anew “Angel" began to minister to
the wente of the unfortunates In the Tombs orison.
The retiring “Angel," Miss Ada Elliot, Is succeeded by Mrs. B<>ph!e
C. Atman, who has for year* been uaeocieted In the work of her prede
cessors.
The charity and rescue work carried on by the "Tombs Angel" Is of a
very practical sort. There Is no singing of hymns nor reading of tructs
nor preaching to the unfortunates with whom she deals, but she simply alms
to do what one woman should do for another If she were In trouble, Not
that religious teaching is lost sight of in the work, but the ‘Tombs An
gei" does not believe In forcing religion upon an unfortunate person at
a time when something more substantial! would be more serviceable.
its bars and keeping them there at the
city’s expense will be driven out of
business and there will be no law
warranting arrest for petty and un
just debts.
"To me,” said the sheriff, "Ludlow
Is nothing short of a spltehouse
wherein the shylock reaps hls heart
less revenge. Ever since I took office
I have been shocked by the perse
cution which Is dally practiced there.
The laws which permit certain men
to use this prison to collect what Is
nothing short of blood money from
the poor are all wrong and they must
be reformed.
“From time to time the sheriff's of
fice has realized the Injustice of our
poor debtor laws and the public press
has ugitated their abolishment, but
the matter has never been pushed to
a result In the Legislature.
Crime* of Luwloxv Jail.
"I have gone over not only a history
of crimes which have been practiced
through the medium of Ludlow street
Jail, but also a history of the laws
which have made these crimes possi
ble. and I am convinced that If the
real state of affairs Is presented to
the Legislature it will take immediate
and drastic action toward wiping out
ever law which grinds down and Im
prisons our illiterate and unfortunate
debtors.
“There are, of course, thousands of
people in New York who do nothing
but study how to defraud creditors.
For them our laws are too lax en
tirely. but In order that our in
stalment merchants, money lenders,
etc., can have protection against de
liberate swindlers, our statute books
have been heaped with laws which are
indescribably cruel to the honest poor
debtor. New York Is far behind lte
sister states in the East in wiping
such unjust measures out. Too long
they have been allowed to pile up.
Even many of our best lawyers do not
realize the abuses which come before
the sheriff every day. The long letter
which I addressed to the Bar Associa
tion of New York upon Thanksgiving
Day was designed to call the attention
of our best lawyers to the real condi
tions which confront the sheriff of the
city.
Victim* of L'nMPrapnlon* Men.
"More than half the men who have
been sent to Ludlow Street Jarfl during
the last four years have been victims
of unscrupulous people. The county
of New York is being used every day
os a collector for extortionists, and
the sheriff has no alternative than to
detain these Ignorant people at the
expense of the city until such time as
they meet the extravagant terms of
their creditors."
The sheriff Is very sincere In this
effort to correct an evil of long stand
ing. He has armed himself after long
research with a vain amount of In
formation. He Is not presenting this
matter to the Legislature on a senti
mental basis or on theory. He has
collected plenty of Individual oases and
he has names and dates to present if
he is called upon by any committee to
which his proposed bill may be pre
sented. Hls friend* among the mem
bers of the Bar Association who know
■what he Is after have pledged that hls
bill will be met by any opposition of
Importance.
A Vile Collection Boreas.
Thousands of people In New York
know and have known for many years
that Ludlow Street Jail is nothing but
a collection bureau for the vilest kind
of bills of extortion. The real swin
dlers are not given credit, and the
creditors, therefore, have little occa
sion to prosecute any but the unfor
tunate. A body execution can be ob
tained under the present le ws for tho
smallest kind of a debt. In one case
on record a man who owed $2.10 for
a clock which he gave to hls wife
upon the anniversary of their mar
riage and for which through sickness
be was not able to pay at the required
time, was thrown Into Ludlow Street
Jail and compelled to pay S4O before
he could get a release. The costs ir*
such case* frequently run up to about
$5 on each dollar of the original obli
gation. In years past the creditors m
such cases had to pay seventy-flve
cents a day for the keep of debtors in
Ju.ll. but of late years, through the
passage of amendments, to the law,
the county has been compelled to keep
all the prisoners In Ludlow at Its own
expense. In not a few cases men ow
ing less than SSO have been kept at
the expense of the county for three
months. At any time the country could
have paid these obligations In cash and
saved money by liberating the prison
ers Immediately upon arrest.
—William M. O. Dawson, the Re
publican governor-elect of West Vir
ginia, Is 50 years old and began life
as a printer, then became an editor
and Is now a lawyer.
BRADFORD'S EVAPORATED
OKRA.
Makes the finest soups ar.d gum
bos. Hold by ail leading grocers S
eta. per bog. M. Fsrst's Hons * Cos.,
Wholesale Agents.
9