A CLEVER SWINDLE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 260, 21 February 1877, Page 2

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 miknown beauty reared in the lap of luxury, 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. The party coming nearest the actual fact was to be given 20,000 dols., the lady was to take 25,000 dols., the managers 25,000 dols., and it was estimated that the balance of the 11)0,000 dols. would be required for sundry fexpenses. The 4th September was fixed for sundry unveilings in the presence of ticket-holders. A grand central office was taken, agencies were established, and everything went swimmingly, the dollars coming in fast. The detectives, however, appeared on the scene, and arrested the manager, who is practically dessribed as " Samuel Samborn, 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 r - \ dead yet; send me two pictures."