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Story
October 8, 1905
Daily Press
Newport News, Virginia
What is this article about?
A New York creditor uses a misaddressed registered letter as bait to locate and collect a $2 debt from a woman who moved, tricking her into visiting the office out of curiosity.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
AN EFFECTIVE BAIT.
Clever Detective to Send After Missing Debtor.
A registered letter is mighty effective bait. The Seventy-eighth street woman nibbled at the first throw.
"Of course it is for me," she said. "That is my name and that was my address before I moved here."
"Yes, that part of it is all right," the postman admitted, "but it says 'esquire.' You're not esquire."
"No," sighed the woman, "but I'm sure"-
"Of course you are sure," he put in, "but I can't deliver the letter. This is a registered letter, and we have to be very careful of registered mail. The best I can do is to give you the name and address of the writer. Then you can make inquiry and ask to have the letter addressed properly."
The woman eyed the prosperous looking missive yearningly, but since the compromise offered was the best bargain obtainable she accepted it. The situation was puzzling.
The name of her benefactor was totally unknown.
Fortunately he was situated in a downtown office building, so immediately after luncheon she attempted to elucidate the mystery of the registered letter. Once inside the office she recognized her correspondent as the manager of a concern to which she had owed $2 for typewriting supplies for the last six months. She mentioned the letter; the man produced a bill.
"It was a copy of this," he said. "You had moved—we could not find you—mere oversight on your part of course—still, in order to keep our accounts square—you understand"-
The woman was so mad she wasn't sure whether she understood or not, but she paid the bill. When she had gone the manager treated himself to a fresh cigar.
"Registered letters," he said, "are the best detectives going when the person you are after moves frequently and is guilty of no greater crime than shirking a little bill. An ordinary letter, even though forwarded to the proper address, may elicit no reply, but very few people can withstand the appeal of a registered letter. To bring results it must, of course, be improperly directed, so that the addressee cannot receive it. In that case it either arouses sufficient curiosity to bring the delinquent down here to investigate or is returned with the proper address marked on the envelope. In either event we get on the track of the debtor and are pretty sure to collect the money."—New York Press.
Clever Detective to Send After Missing Debtor.
A registered letter is mighty effective bait. The Seventy-eighth street woman nibbled at the first throw.
"Of course it is for me," she said. "That is my name and that was my address before I moved here."
"Yes, that part of it is all right," the postman admitted, "but it says 'esquire.' You're not esquire."
"No," sighed the woman, "but I'm sure"-
"Of course you are sure," he put in, "but I can't deliver the letter. This is a registered letter, and we have to be very careful of registered mail. The best I can do is to give you the name and address of the writer. Then you can make inquiry and ask to have the letter addressed properly."
The woman eyed the prosperous looking missive yearningly, but since the compromise offered was the best bargain obtainable she accepted it. The situation was puzzling.
The name of her benefactor was totally unknown.
Fortunately he was situated in a downtown office building, so immediately after luncheon she attempted to elucidate the mystery of the registered letter. Once inside the office she recognized her correspondent as the manager of a concern to which she had owed $2 for typewriting supplies for the last six months. She mentioned the letter; the man produced a bill.
"It was a copy of this," he said. "You had moved—we could not find you—mere oversight on your part of course—still, in order to keep our accounts square—you understand"-
The woman was so mad she wasn't sure whether she understood or not, but she paid the bill. When she had gone the manager treated himself to a fresh cigar.
"Registered letters," he said, "are the best detectives going when the person you are after moves frequently and is guilty of no greater crime than shirking a little bill. An ordinary letter, even though forwarded to the proper address, may elicit no reply, but very few people can withstand the appeal of a registered letter. To bring results it must, of course, be improperly directed, so that the addressee cannot receive it. In that case it either arouses sufficient curiosity to bring the delinquent down here to investigate or is returned with the proper address marked on the envelope. In either event we get on the track of the debtor and are pretty sure to collect the money."—New York Press.
What sub-type of article is it?
Deception Fraud
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Deception
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Registered Letter
Debt Collection
Trick
Debtor
New York
Postman
What entities or persons were involved?
The Seventy Eighth Street Woman
The Manager
The Postman
Where did it happen?
New York
Story Details
Key Persons
The Seventy Eighth Street Woman
The Manager
The Postman
Location
New York
Story Details
A creditor sends a misaddressed registered letter to lure a debtor who moved, prompting her curiosity to visit the office and pay the $2 bill for typewriting supplies.