Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-14
A CLEVER SCHEME
To Secure Money from Gardiner Man,
but a Failure.

draw money from a prominent Port
| land man by Spanish fortune game
| brings to light the fact that the same
lplot was tried on one OF Gardeners
business men. The case of the Port
| land man differed somewhat from that
of the one in Gardiner. but there is
no doubt that the plot was instigated
| by the same person or persons. Mr..
| o. NJ. Blanchard of this city. has in
his possession a package containing
| a letter, copy of which appears be-
low
The plot is laid in Spain. In
| February Of this year, Mr. Blanchard
| received letter. the envelope bear
| ing a Spanish 25-cent stamp and 4
postmark which was not plain enough
to be deciphered. The letter was
written on both sides of a cross-ruled
paper, letter size, and bore the sig
nature of andres Roca-' The hand
writing was fine and uniform, the COM
position good, and was written in
quite foreign style. Some words of the
| letter could not be deciphered. as the
letters OF the epistle had a style pc
/ culiar to themselves.
| The letter was, at the time Of its re-
|
the Journal reporter and the contents
kept private until further develop
ments. The writer claimed 10 be i'm
prisoned in a Spanish castle, with no
hope of release until his term of II
wears was al an end, and solicited the
j protection Of his li-year1old daughter.
whom the chaplain of the prison had
assisted in placing in a convent.
The writer alleged that during the
| Cuban war he was secretary and treas
urer of Gen. Weyler, the Cuban gen
eral. Then, on account of treason
rracticed by his fellows, he was forced
| TO emigrate to English territory. There
he received the news of the death Of
his wife and he left for Spain to take
his daughter to this country. He placed
his capital Of 100000 in the London
Pank and received a security docu-
ment payable to bearer, and placed the
| document in his trunk Arriving in
Spain. he was discovered by the gov
| ernment and sentenced to II years in
prison His luggage was confiscatei
+, in Carthageha.
| He appealed TO Mr.. Blanchard,
! to whom he claimed blood rela-
tionship, saying that part of his
fortune would be given Mr.. Blanchard
for paying the costs OF recovering the
trunk and taking his daughter to his
own home and bringing her up. The
girl would be accompanied to America,
| the letter said. by the priest, VINO
| would also assist in the recovery OF
| the valuable papers. prompt reply
was asked for and directions given
for sending the reply letter. The let
te~ said the reply should be addressed
to this priest, as he was pIohlbited
from receiving any direct letters: but
! two envelopes should be used, the in
ner one directed to the prisoner.
| That which would make the lette: and
story appear real was the mention OF
! his wifes maiden name. but as MI,
Blanchard was positive that there had
heen no one in his family of that name,
no reply was made to the letter and
aupeal. and il was kept as an inter-
/ esting curiosity.
| The gentleman in Portland went as
far rs to reply to his letter and ask
for n more definite understand
| ing. He received Il letter from
the prisoner and one from the
nriest. who wrote that the prisoner
nv him was written on his deathbed.
| There was also in the package what
! nurnorted to be the last will and tes-
| lament OF the dead p, isoner, Don Luis
| Rodrioues. The priest wrote that the
court would surrender the dead mans
luggage only on the payment OF lis
/ and asked that this amount be Tor
yarded at once in United States bank
| notes. Then the Portland man had
| become convinced that the scheme was
| n sv,indle.
| Following is q copy Of the let
ter received by Mr.. blanchard, VIA
| the execution of a few words W'lich
| could not be deciphered. The original
may be seen at Mr.. Blanchard's store
| nv anv one interested. The letter reads
as follows
Castle Of villanneva, A-l-19i2
Mr. O. NJ. Blanchard.
Nv aear MISUNDERSTANDING not the homo"
to know you but FOL the reference wnl.n
NV dear wife Bertha Blanchard, your
relative gave me, wEo menii i, ny -
estv and good qualities that distinguish
YOU / address myself To you lor lns H.
time and perhaps the last @ne considerinS
the grave state of my health EXPLAINING
Won NV sad position and requesting your
protection for my only daughter, your
niece II wears old VINO ! keep az q pen
sioner in the College of La Carolina.
AS I am thickly matched for my enc
mics hope YOU viii reveal 70 nobody the
most insignificant detail Of this letter. BE
ing a secretary and treasurer OF MT.
Wcvler in the last war of Cuba and DE-
serving the confidence Of such an Illus
trious gentleman placing my capital II
public hands so that | might make a bril-
liant position for my daughter whom !
ever loved with when her moth.r
died Now my fortune would
have been happy had my protector con
tinued at the end of the campaign as no
sooner was he replaced by Mr.. Blancc
than my presented itself as ] could
not succeed in making him to Spain.
and not being in my power to see Cuba
ruled by an adversary polite joined tn.
rebellion in behalf OF the republic but rs
we were victims Of the greatest treason
was obliged to cmigrate for Eng Isl.
ground taking along with me my money
valued to GS0000. After having resided
some time in London I received the sad
news that my wife had died, leaving my
dear daughter in d spair and without help
in this sad situation | found myself In
the necessity of coming back to Spain To
help my daughter and bring her in my
company to your country.
Before starting, considering as impru-
dent to take along with me this respect