The evening times., 1896-04-08
PEOPLE EASILY GULLtD
SwindIers Across the Ocean
Reap R Oh Harvests.
DEAL IN BOGUS ESTATES
Unclaimed Millions Alleged to Be Dc
posited In n Bank Which Does Not
Exist-Plenty of Victims Can He
Found Who Are willing to Part
With Their Money.

A recent communication to the state De-
pa rtmcnt from Consul Edward DOWNS NJ
Amsterdam again calls attention To the
frauds which are being practiccd by de-
signing persons under the unclaimed estate
scheme"
Mr. Downes letter reads: II most re-
spectfuily request that our countrynen be
warned against the perfect folly OF spend
.ng time or money toward the collectinn OF
what are known as the old Dutch estates
This fever is prevailing in the United States
and Canada.
For the past three months inquiries on
| .his subject at this consulate are so numer-
Gus as to almost ba file replies, and threaten
to interfere seriously with the re gular bnsi-
ness OF The office. The 'Annekc JAMS
| estate, the 'Cronkheit or Cronckheit or
| Kronkheit estate, the Van Cot estate, the
Dussen estate, the 'McZzcr' estate, the
! Weber estate the Brandt g state; these are
some of the fairy titles supposed 10 rep
resent millions, but actually represent
| nothing.
These estates do not exist. They are
| myths. will-Ot Othc-wisp jokes. Neither does
the Bank of Holland, In which the I'M
|
posted, exist. Careful investigation in
| duces the belief that these estates
originated in the brain of some ras-
! cally speCulator. who, imposing on human
creiulty. found many victims and nccccd
| them most profitaDly.
Is MONEY WASTED.
| "If these estates ever had II bona fidc
existence, then they come clearly within
| he provisions of the statute nr limitations,
! passed by the Dutch Parliament in S52. by
| which all unclaimed inhcritances irrcvocab!y
| eschcated, after a lapse OF five years, TO
| the state. Every dollar spent in refer
| encc 10 these estates is SO much money
| wasted"
| The unclaimed estate" swindle is q
| clever fraud which has been practiced for
| many years. and although il has at times
| been checked. is constantly cropping out
| anew. More trouble and annoyance to the
| Department OF State cmanatcs from this
source than from any other one cause. Par
| uCularly is this true in regard To the IcS:r-
| tions and consulatcs In foreign countries.
| especially England, France. Holland and
! Germany. from where the ma Jority of our
.orefathers emigratcl.
! Not day passes by but what brings
| number of letters to this branch OF the
government making inquiries in regard To
| The prosecuting OF such claims and asking
| for information us To the proper method
| 10 pursue. Almost invariably the matter
can be traced directly to these claim-pro-
noting agencies, for the purpose of che Iting
| credulous people.
Some time ago these letters OF inquiry
| became so numerous that a printed form
of reply was adopted, relating to the Ip
| plican, the utter useiessness and folly of
! attempting to- recover anything from such
! estates.
A different form covering The nature OF
| The cases was adopted for each country,
and are still used. Accompanying the cir
cular is also sent a detailed report upon
the subject by the foreign minister or
consul.
THEIR FIELD OF OPERATION.
OF late the swinilers have been operating
mostly in the Netherlands, as is shown
by Mr. Downcs' letter. large number of
communications seeking Information have
been received by American cOnsuls in
Holland since The first of the year. They
come from all parts or the country. from
Maine 10 California. The demands range
as high as SI2,0O0,0O0 in some instances
do wn 10 m ore geabie sums, ,andextcnd
over period embraced within the past
200 years.
The plan of operation adopted by the
promoters is usually TO select care
fully prepared list OF names, common TO
English, Dutch or French origin as the
case may be, claiming that to heirs and
descendants of such persons immense cs-
tatcs have fallen. These they send broad
cast through the country in the form of
circulars, and offer to act as attorney or
counsel in procuring the money which pur-
ports 10 await them.
Crc,luous persons who cherish fancics
of vast wealth and dreams of rich fnlfr-
itancc are easy prey for these schemers.
The victims are for the most part of the
poorer class, and while most in need or
sudden wealth, are those who can ILL.,
afford to squanJer their bar,!-earned money
chasing rainbow gold bags.
Some of the swind!ers have confedcratcs
in this country, who work up clients, but
most OF the work is usually done by cor
respondence, rs there is then less fear OF
detection Many of them advertise in
small country journals of limited circulation
and cheap publications, though this has
been stopped to a large extent, as the mails
refuse to carry the papers containing the
defrauding advertisement.
Their plan is first 10 have the would-be
heir, after he has written them, send
small amount OF money to cover the eX-
pense of drawing up the papers; then a-no-
tarys fee must be paid. Subsequently
bondsman must bc procured TO guarantee
the payment of cost. which is represented to
be small compared with the amount about
10 be paid over. Then the first bondsma1
unfortunately dies and another must be Sc
cured.
WORKING THE VICTIM.
Thus In a cleverly-worded and smooth
sounding manner the victim is gradually
duped In amounts ranging from $40 to
500, and often more, and not infrcquently
for term of years until he grows weary,
sometimes suspicious, and either gives the
matter up, dies or seeks an investigation.
| only to find he has been contributing funds
20 enable some uDscrupulous person TO live
in luxury in the old country on the fruit OF
his labors.
| Sometimes the victim is an educated per-
son. The French minister tells of case
which came under his observation where
a respectable old lady from Brooklyn, n.
Y, sought to inquire OF him how she should
approach the government to induce it to
pay over, without delay, what was hon.
dup EC one nj the haIrs n nutch