The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-30
SEEKING SUCKERS.
How a Self Constituted Span
ish Priest Works Them.
PRESIDENT HARRISON TRIED
nv tho schoming spauiard-sOme
oftho others He Has Attempted
to Catch Lately for a Few
Thousand Dollars Each.

WASHINGTON, MhICu SO.-cot beNoiel
~a,rs past attempts have been made to
yitimizs people OF prominence in the
limited States by playing upon their
c,edulity at the expense Of their purses.
Inst who the would.be swindlers are
and TO what extent they have succeeded,
Ia mol known, bnt BuftiCien data hes
d4fted into the Department Of State to
Indicate that these operations have been
cond noted on broad scale, and that the
issJsr in them Is intelligent and well
Srouainted with the Affairs OF the per.
Sons selected for victims. Whether there
;sonly one mau, or whether he hes con-
Isderatss, 1t is hard TO determine, al.
thouCh the indications point 10 coop.
eratiYe action. .-
The fraudulent schemes were Of the
same general plan, but details are varied
infinitely to meet tho character ot the
victim, As rule be is aperson who
has al some time lad slight acquatnt.
apce with SpaniaId. He receives q
latter from Spanish priest telling him
4bat large sum OF money has been de-
Tissd to him by this spaniard on condi.
lions that always involves the advance.
msnt of a greater or less sum OF money
N nav necessary charges. The frat no.
tice the Department OF State had OF the
sWindIe was Rsietter addressed to Presi.
dpnt Harrison. soon alter he assumed
the duties OF his office.
In this letter the writer, Catholic
nriest he described himself, informed
the President that Spanish. army
officer, after undergoing iucredi bic vtcts.
situdes OF fortune, had died In Spain.
He had delivered to the priest satchel
containing 100000, which was to be
turned over to President Harrison on
the sole condition that he would s.sume
charge OF the officers little daughter.
Incidentally, the amount OF 5000 was
needed to pay necessary expenses. The
matter was confidential, and the Presi.
dent was TO direct his reply in Spanish |
10 the priest and enclose 1t in letter
addressed TO Spanish lady. The priest
also enclosed letter from Bishop,
testiiying to the good character of the
n-iest. but perhaps from inadvertence
nr m are probably to avoid conviction ii
detected, the testimonial was made out
for person of different name from that
signed by the alleged priest:
The next person selected as victim
was General Bartlett, OF the Pension
Office in Washington. In this case q
great quantity OF valuable plate was at
stake, encumbered With an innocent,
angelic child OF Spaniard whom the
General really recalled as an acquaint'
ance Of his in early years. His suspic'
ions we're aroused by the unusual pre-.
cautions that were to be observed, and
he escaped without loss.
Then prominent druggist OF Pater.
ann. N. j., wsa picked out by the gang,
Int he regarded the priests letter as |
practical joke and paid no serious atten.
ton to 1t. Early last week citizen Of
Cresson, lows, was told that Si00Co N
Jewels aRd treasure were buried in his
neighborhood by o Spaniard he had
known in by.gone years. he was to
have a description Of its location and
part Of the proceeds OF the property II
he would send the remainder 10
daughter OF the Spaniard, bonding him
self heavily and remitting money TO pay
charges before receiving the chart show
ing the location OF the treasure.
A member OF the House last summer
also came In for one OF these prize pack
ayes. which were warranted to contain
a fortune and a beautiful heiress. A
letter was addressed TO this member
from the "Parish Church OF San jaime
Atreida," bearing the seal OF the church
aud tho seal OF the Arch h-Bishopric OF
Toledo. The letter, like the others, pur-
ported to be from q priest, Alberto
Sonar in this case, located in the Prov.
inee OF Badjos, Sono Maria, Casillas,
Gale Juderia, No. % Villanue La sa'
rena. The letter Is chiefly remarkable
for the crafty manner in which the
priest seeks to prevent the exposure OF
the swindle by making it appear to be
in the recipients interest to maintain
silence. The priests story Is romantic,
as is Invariably the case.
The priest enioined upon the uon,
yressman sepulchral silence In regard
TO the matter, aud signed himself your
most atIeCtionate brother in Christ,"
enclosing IN alleged letter from the
.AEch. Bishop of Toledo.
It appears that In this case, as in the
cas Q Of the letter addressed TO President
Harrison, the name Of the priest %
tiye,, by tha Arch. Bishop is spelled dill
ierently from the name given by the
priest himself. The last communication
on the subject which has reached the
Department. OF State, 10 f'om an attorney |
at.iaw in Nebraska. He gives modi'
fieation Of thu scheme which was at
tempted In 1889.
The attempt was renewed last Novem'
her upon another banker Of the same
city. The old story was again modified,
but the handwriting was the same a. IN
the first case. These also fell into the
hands OF the sane attorney, and he led
the parties along in corrtspondence,
while he In the meantime notihed tne
American Minister in Spain and the
Chief OF Police OF Valencia, and urging
the authorities TO act.