El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-21
MANILA BUNKO GAME
HOW AMERICAN EAGLES WERE Ex-
CHANGED FOR 'DOBE DOLLARS.

Scheme of Filipino COunterfeiters to
Defraud Uncle Sans Soldiers of
Their Money Clever Part Played
by the Woman In the Game.
The New York Suns correspondent at
Manila, writing under date of Sept. 13
about how some of our soldiers ex-
changed American gold coin for 'dobe
dollars, says:
Olivia she said her name was, with
an utterly unspellable and unpronoun-
ceable something else which she added
when the interpreter asked "Olivia
que?" She didn't differ in appearance
from the thousand other Filipino wom-
en- who carry bundles on their heads
about the streets of Manila or manage
two to four trading stations under the
shade of banana leaf along the coun-
try roads. Her hands were small and
slender and her feet were large, fiat and
bare. The gaudy pima camisa that slip
ped half way down her upper arms dis
closed her exquisitely nodded, graceful
shoulders. Much carrying of burdens on
her head had made her straight backed
and erect. Her cheek bones were high,
her face broad, her nose fiat, her eyes
her mouth wide and full of teeth that
had been white before constant betel
nut chewing had Redeemed and made
them unsightly. Her hair was as black
as her eyes, we'll oiled and smoothed
down mirror bright, with a knot in the
back Of her neck. She must be nearly
AZ feet tall, with a complexion Ikea
copper cent of the mintage of 1868. The
E. L. 80 nd x,n1t oxr,
pima cloth hung over short, white skirt
and was draped with black, a short sort
of overskirt of which hung just below
the knees Between the short camisa
and the bright red say a narrow stri p
of bare brown showed in curious con-
trast to the gay colors of the dress.
Once il awhile the wise men down
here SEQ some native do something
which is just what would be done at
home under the same circumstances.
They waG1le their wise heads and ex-
claim, "An, human nature is just thu
same the W orld over !" That is true too.
There are the same samenesses and the
same differences, and it is only because
the differences here are different from
what they have been used to at home
that they remark the samenesses. But
that gets away from Olivia, and she,
although not SO named before the court,
was in reality the party of the first
part. 1t began, of course, away back
when there was devised with paradise
the snake, but the specific development
occurred in Cavite. Just plain sordid
case of mans greed overreaching itself,
a "win by his aid and the aid disown"
experiment. Mariana Santos provided
the aid, and if be had not been caught
Benignio de la Cruz would have made
the winning. AS it happened, the game
was with chance, and chance won.
For Uncle Sans bright So goldpieces
the banks in Manila were paying 10
'dobe dollars and 30 cents. Therein
Benignio, who is thief and counter
feiter, perceived his opportunity. He
was willing to give 20 'dobe dollars,
very 'dobe indeed, made in his own
special 'dobe mint. for every new gold
eagle Uncle Sam had paid his boys fer
risking their lives in his service, and as
| the boys had Just received q fine new
lot Of American eagles and always are
| anxious to get the most silver for them
possible, the 500 offer Of Benignio had
more favor with them than the more
conservative proposition Of the banks.
| Besides, Benignio came to them in the
person of Mariana, whereas they were
obliged to go to the bank, which was
somewhat difficult, owing to certain
restrictions customary to military life.
So they fell upon Mariana joyfully, and
he promptly cheated them. They were
| from South Dakota, and the first Fill
ipino vender of wretched anise brandy
| on whom they tried Mariano's dollars
| quickly showed them the very 'dobe