Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-30
MONEY WANTED.
President Harrison and Other Prom.
ineut Men Selected AZ Victims.
Of q Fraud.
PACKAGES CONTAINING A FORTUNE
AND AN HEiRrss.
4 Large sum Of Money Concealed In
u Certain Locality In
America.
by Telegraph TO the SEws.i
swINpLr.
How n Preiesded ca,hoiic Priest
Tried 60 Obtain Nancy.


How Pretended ca,hoiic Priest
Tried 60 obtain Money.
wAsinSurOS, March ag.--For SOW
cral years Inst attempts have been
made 10 victinilze people OF prominence
IN thu United states 10y playing upon
their crcdulity nj the expense Of their
purses. Just who the wOuld.bc swlnd-
len are, and 10 what extent they sue.
ceclcd II not known, but sufficient
data have driftcd into the Department
Of State 10 Indicate TINT these operations
have been conducted ON broad scale,
aud the leader In them Is educated anu
well acquainted In tn. Affairs Of per-
sons selected ~ victims. The fraudul.
ent schemes are ~ the same general
plan, but the details varied indefinitely
10 meet the character Of the Victim.
As n rule he u n person who has At
some time bad u slight acquaintance
with n Spaniard. lie received
u letter from Spanish priest,
telling him that large sum Of
money had been len 10 him by this
Spanlard, on conditions that always In
volve the advancement Of n greater or
les. sum OF money 10 pay the neccAary
charges. The first notice the Depart.
ment OF STATE had Of the swindlc was n
letter addressed 10 President Harrison
soon after he assumed office. In this
letter the writer, n Catholic priest, rs
he described himself, Informed the
President that u Spanish army officer,
after undergoing Incredible vicissi-
tudcs OF fortune, had died In Spain.
He had delivered 10 tho priest q pack.
agc containing $4,000, which was 10
bc turned over 10 President Harrison
on the sole condition that lie would rs.
sumo charge OF the officers little
daughter. Incidentally the amount Of
5000 was needed to pay the necessary
expenses.
Tile next person selected ~ victim
was General Bartlett " the Pension
Ofllce, In Washington. In this case n
great quantity Of valuable plate was ut
stake, encountered with the Innocent,
angelic child OF the Spaniard. His sus.
plcious were aroused and he escaped
without loss.
Then = prominent druggist at Patter.
son, n. j., was picked out by tho gang,
hut he regarded the letter M joke and
paid no attention 10 II.
Early last week citizen Of Creston,
Iowa, was told that $4,000 Ia Jewels
and treasure was buried Ia his neigh
borhood by Spaniard he had known
In bygonc years. He was 10 have a
description of its location and part OF
the proceeds OF the property N he
would send the remainder 10 the daugh-
ter OF the 5paniard, binding himself
heavily aud rcmitting money 10 pay
charges before receiving tho chart
showing the location Of the treasure.
A member Of tho United states
House Of Representatives last summer
also came In for one Of these prize
packages, which was warranted TO con-
tain n fortune aud a beautiful heiress.
This letter was chiefly remarkable for
the crafty manner In which the
priest seeks 10 prevent the exposure OF
the swindle, by making II appear To be
In the rccipicnps interest ~ maintain
silence. This priests story Ia romantic
As II invariably the case, the iilustriOus
prisoner died la castle. The charge
upon which he was confined, embez.
element from the State, was cunning.
~ stated with apparent Innocence, al
though IT. suggestion Indirectly ne.
counted for the great fortune OF q, 0O0,.
900 pesotsss (about 81 800, OO0l which the
prisoner had secreted. He had selected
AN American congressman 10 net as
his executor. He had an Innocent,
angelic heiress aud was willing 10 al.
low the executor nth part Of this for.
tune for his trouble.
This last communication on the sub
ject which reached the Department OF
State Is from an attorney at law In Me-
hrasla. He gives modification OF the
scheme, which was attempted In
1852. In this ease tho pretended
Catholic priest had learned at
the confessional that prisoner con.
demned for theft from the Queen OF
Spain there 10 always mn insinuation
Of the manner In which the bogua
treasure was come by had died, leav-
Ing concealed In America n large
amount Of money, OF which n consider.
able part he promised 10 pay TO n
banker In Nebraska, II the latter would
act NJ his executor. This particular
banker showed the letter 10 an at attorney,
who Investigated the matter and
saved the loss OF money. The ATTEMPT
was renewed last November upou
another banker Of the same city. The
old story was again modified, NAMES
changed, but the handwriting was the
same as In the first case. This also
fell Into the hands OF same attorney,
and he led the parties along In CORES.
pOndoncc, while he In the meantime
notified tho American Minister In
Spain and urged the authorities 10 act.