National Affairs: Dupes & Drake

Last week a racket of incredible proportions came to light in Chicago, where slickers used to bilk hayseeds by promising to let them see the Masonic Temple revolve on its invisible axis. Scene was the U. S. District Court, Judge Philip L. Sullivan presiding. Cast consisted principally of 41 defendants on trial for using the mails to swindle an estimated $1,350,000 from some 70,000 Midwesterners. The fantastic fraud on view was based on the assumption that Sir Francis Drake had left a huge and as yet undivided fortune. Some 27 billion dollars would...

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