The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-04
SPANISH BuNko.
Fascination of q TrunlKfuf OF EnE-
Ifsh Bank. Notes.

41GM
The time henored Spanish bunko game,
which ~revolves around a trunkful of treas
ure and held in pawn in a hotel in the city
Of Barcelona while its owner languishes
in prison, is being worked on New York
ers these days after lying On the shelf half
a dozen years or more. The game is work
ed best with O dead man in it, says the
New York Sun. The first letter comes
addressed to some one who has recently
died and naturally goes into the hands of
his executor. 1t is couched in familiar
| and friendly terms and tells how tho writ
| er, having come across with friends to buy
arms for the "insurTection, :" has ventured
into Spain and got Jailed there. He is in
the prison at Barcelona without means to
buy his way out. Worse than that, his
trunk, in which is all his money, conceal
ed in a secret drawer, is at his hotel at
the mercy of chance and the enemy. Will
his old friend not receive and care for it If
he sends it to him? For this great service
he may have one-fourth of the money
$50, 600. He has nothing to do but just
to receive the trunk, which will come by
the next steamer, if he will telegraph his
acceptance.
The old friend is dead, but his Executor
naturally scratches his head and wonders
If he has come into a greater fortune than
he had any idea of. At least it is the sup
position that he does. The mistake which
the local pals of the bunko men made in
this instance was in picking out among
the dead men that were to serve their turn
one who in life had been the brother of a
police official very close to Chief Devery.
This official was the executor in the case,
and he declined to be a come CO." In
stead he took the letter to Captain Nc
Clusky and suggested that, since he was
probably only one of many intended VIC
Tins, it might be worth while to play the
game for enough to lay it bare for the
general information. Accordingly Cap
tain McClusky became the executor for
the occasion and cabled the word suggest
ed in the letter to Barcelona.
The ncxt mail brought him a joyful re-
Spouse from Juan Urrutia. He had re-
covered the trunk, or rather his friend
Jules Arana had, and sent it. He inclos-
ed the express receipt. Having no money
and not daring to disclose his hiding place,
he would ask his New York friend to pay
the express charges. Then he went into
details concerning the money, described
how it was hidden in the lid of the trunk,
e26, 900 in English bank notes all told,
and asked his correspondent to take his
part and put the rest in bank to await the
writer's order. He signed himself sin
fearful anxiety, Leon" this time.
Captain McClusky had barely finished
reading this letter-which, like the rest,
was in rather Indifferent English-when
the mail carrier brought the third and
last one. A most unlocked for accident
had happened, said this one. The land
lord had intercepted the trunk and would
not give it up unless on payment of a
board bill of 1,482 pesetas and 60 cents,
something like $500. The civil court had
seized it and would sell it in DO days I'm
less the money was paid. Could, would,
his friend pay itY He was free to repay
himself out of the hidden drawer. But
he must send the money at once in Eng
fish bank notes in q ~'letter perfectly
waxeh." With heartfelt thanks the writer
still remained Leon.
A notification in Spanish, stamped and
sealed from the civil court, was inclosed
as a guarantee of good faith. The letter
was dated Feb. 5. The 40 days are up on
St. Patrick day, when great luck is in
store for some n who buys Senior Urru-
tia7s trunks-for there appears to be more
than one of them-at public auction in
Barcelona. Four New Workers vi . have
been honored by Senior Urrutia, each I'M
beknown to the others, have intrusted
copies of the letter to Captain McClusky's
keeping.