Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride SCAMS, Part 7

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I‘m continually amazed at how easily “suckers” fell for the hook, line, and sinker scammers threw out to entrap the unsuspecting. This article covers a few short newspaper reports of circumstances wherein the honest fell for scams and ultimately paid plenty.

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Note: amateur historians will enjoy documentation of the term “sucker” as in ‘fool’ or ‘gullible’ has been in use for at least 116 years. Likewise, the law in place at the time wherein fraudulent use of the postal service, including posting mail in anything other than one’s legal name was forbidden by law.

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Another interesting turn of phrase when referring to a ‘child born on the wrong side of the blanket’ is used in this article, a most upper-class carefully worded turn of phrase (as pregnancy outside marriage was such a scandal in those days)– a lady of wealth embarrassed by an infant not properly accounted for on the paternal side (newspaper article 2, below).

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You may also find the definition of “hymeneal” interesting. Nope–not referring to hymen, also known as maidenhead or dubious ‘proof’ of virginity.

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Kristin Holt | Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride SCAMS, Part 7. Use of the term "sucker" over time pre-1800 through 2010. https://www.google.com/search?q=define+sucker&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Use of the term “sucker” over time pre-1800 through 2010. Courtesy of Google.

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Kristin Holt | Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride SCAMS, Part 7. Boys run scam. Suppressed by PostOffice Dept. Published in The Evening Bulletin of Maysville, Kentucky on March 25, 1901.

1 of 2). Boys run scam. Suppressed by PostOffice Dept. The Evening Bulletin of Maysville, Kentucky on March 25, 1901.

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Kristin Holt | Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride SCAMS, Part 7. "Duped People: How the Postal Department Stands Between the Sharper and Unsuspecting." From The Plain Speaker of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. July 7, 1890. Part 1 of 3.

1 of 3). “Duped People: How the Postal Department Stands Between the Sharper and Unsuspecting.” Published in The Plain Speaker of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. July 7, 1890.

2 of 3). “Duped People: How the Postal Department Stands Between the Sharper and Unsuspecting.” Published in The Plain Speaker of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. July 7, 1890.

3 of 3). “Duped People: How the Postal Department Stands Between the Sharper and Unsuspecting.” Published in The Plain Speaker of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. July 7, 1890.

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Kristin Holt | Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride SCAMS, Part 7. Define: Hymenial (Of or concerning marriage). When was it used? Source: Google.

Define: Hymenial. When was it used? Source: Google

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Inflation Calculator: http://www.davemanuel.com/inflation-calculator.php

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Kristin Holt | Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride SCAMS, Part 7. "End of a Matrimonial Bureau Found the Manager in Prison and Victims in a Worse Place." From The Lima News of Lima, Ohio on October 25, 1902. Part 1 of 3.

1 of 3). “End of a Matrimonial Bureau Found the Manager in Prison and Victims in a Worse Place.” From The Lima News of Lima, Ohio on October 25, 1902.

2 of 3). “End of a Matrimonial Bureau Found the Manager in Prison and Victims in a Worse Place.” From The Lima News of Lima, Ohio on October 25, 1902.

3 of 3). “End of a Matrimonial Bureau Found the Manager in Prison and Victims in a Worse Place.” From The Lima News of Lima, Ohio on October 25, 1902.

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Up Next: Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride SCAMS, part 8

Wherein a murderer finds his victims through a matrimonial bureau; and two wealthy (and married) women entrap unsuspecting swains into expensive courtships, engagements, marriage– or close enough, broken hearts and shattered illusions.