, 1872-12-06
4 FEMALE BANKER AND HER MALE
VICTIMS.

Miss Adele spitzoder, Of Munich, Bavaria, a
has shown talent for swind]ing on d colossal
scale which would put to shame anything ever
concocted in Wall street or any other American
street, even by the most astute male Peter
Funk. Munich may now boast its beer, it's Wag-
ner and its Spitzeder, without fear Of compe-
tltion. The story is al interesting one, particu-
larly Dis showing the state OF perfection to which
swindling has been brought in Europe. It de-
serves to be c1assed as fine art. It appears
that Miss Spitzeder has always had knack at
borrowing but never seriously set her wits at
work to utilize this knack, and realize on large
scale, until some two or three years ago. At
that time she advertised in the Munich papers
for loans, offering q high rate Of interest.
Mortgages were worth, ut that time, ~
per cent per annum, and the banks
charged but s per cent, whereas Miss Spitzeder
offered 10 per cent per month. The capitalists
of Munich, that class which lays in wait for
such e1orbitant interests as are lying around
loose, greedily snapped at the spitzeders gilded
bait. It was especially enticing as she paid
three months interest in advance, and the re-
mainder in quarterly insta1ments. The scheme
YVES SUCCESS. Money poured in SO copiously
that the spitzeder soon had more money than
she wanted. She did not stop, however. While
the iron was hot she kept on striking. New ad-
vertiscments went into the papers, and the
stream Of money increased. The interest was
easily paid out Of tho principal and the interest
which she paid came back to her again in the
shape Of new loans, like bread cast
upon the waters. Then, as another bait
for the unWary money-lenders Of Munich,
it Was given ont that the Spitzeder had made
real estate speculations which netted profits Of
100 per cent, and that she could loan MI the
money that could be furnished at 25 per cent q
month. The new coat of gliding On the bait
made it brighter and brighter, and at last the
SpitZeder had to start bank to accommodate
the funds, which were becoming too cumbersome
to handle Individually. She at once enlisted in
her interests the Catholic clergy1nen, and some
clerical politicians, and soon there appeared at
Dachan, two or three miles from Munich, the
Catholic Savings Bunk. The character Of the
institution commended itself, especially through
the influence Of the too credulous clergy, to
the servants Of Munich and the peasantry of the
suburbs. The Ultramontane newspapers sup
ported her claims upon the public money,
and, in addition to these, she started
a paper Of her OWL. Further
to ingratiate herself into the good
graces Of the class upon whom ehe relied
for deposits, she established a "Peop1e's
Kitchen" managed after the fashion Of our
Holly Tree Coffee Rooms, which she carried On
at a loss Of about $50 per day. This, however,
was Of little account, as long rs deposits flowed
in over the counters Of her main bank and its
numerous branches at the rate Of from Sd, 600
to $4,000 per day. Meanwhile, both the inde-
pendent press and the authorities warned the
people, but to no purpose, and money continued
to pour in until the Spitzeder had millions OF
forins at her command, and then, of course,
when the proper moment came, she punctured
the bubble and it burst. The Catholic Savings
Bank broke, and with it broke all the branch
banks, and the numerous individual
certificates Of deposit we're Of no value to
the holders except for the spitzeder's auto
graph. spitzeder herself gathered everything
together, and, before the collapse was known, was
missing. After the collapse, the authorities
broke open tile safes, and they we're found empty.
They then hunted for the books, and found they
had been destroyed. Then the authorities, and
the Chamber Of Commerce. and the ahreHd