From: David Parker (cdickens@RMPLC.CO.UK)
Date: Thu Feb 18 1999 - 02:01:57 PST
Thank you for your message. I applaud your appetite for obscure data. You'll make a good lawyer. The item you're thinking of is an article called "The Begging-Letter Writer," first published by Dickens in the weekly periodical he edited, _Household Words_, on 18 May 1850. It was reprinted in his lifetime, in an anthology called _Reprinted Pieces_. I'd be surprised if the University of Arizona library didn't have an edition of _Reprinted Pieces_ (probably part of a set of Dickens's works), though it may well not have a set of _Household Words_. If you have any difficulty finding it, let me know. It's not very long. I could photocopy it and mail it to you. David Parker, Curator, The Dickens House, London ____________________________________________________________________________ _________ -----Original Message----- From: Jason Corley <corleyj@CHRONIC.LPL.ARIZONA.EDU> To: BOZ@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <BOZ@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Date: 18 February 1999 00:36 Subject: BOZ: Mail fraud? >Hi! > >I'm a law student at the University of Arizona. (aaaagh! chancery scenes >erupt to mind!) I've been doing a paper on the history of mail fraud and >I was interested to see in one history of the postal inspector's office, >that Dickens published an expose of some of the more notorious English >mail con artists. The author seemed to think it was in "Sketches By Boz", >but the particular collection of the "Sketches" I've been able to find (on >Project Gutenberg) doesn't appear to have the info in it. > >Can someone give me more specific information - like a title of the actual >essay or a date, or alternate collections of the "Sketches" which might >have this work? > >Thanks! > >Jason >