Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-06-06

WV N'''fD wv VI
mine, for Gods sake | beseech YOU
not aband)r the poor fatherless
girl" etc.
In this letter a hint was given
that some ready money would like
" be needed by the chaplain to
lift the embargo on the baggage
and the fortune, from the "rribu-
nal Of Cartagena.' In the smallest
piece Of baggage. in IA secret place.
the bank draft could be found.
The third letter. written April
18th, 1892, in a hand writing,
showing great feebleness, start
ed with the statement: Il feel that
my fife is going off and | address
to Yen my last entreaty. | make
my testament in which leave my
daughter as my only n~iress. ! APP
point you her guardian and testa-
mentary executor, and should you
fulfill what ! disposed make you
donation Of the one fourth part Of
NY entire fortune
a letter from the chaplain soon
follows informing Mr.. Iliner Of
The death of his relative. and that
he had been mentioned as guardian
in the will etc. As to the funeral
the chaplain states: YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON | made company to his
body to the last abode. Let us pray
to God that be may keep him i'll
bis Holy Glory" etc.
Last Of I'LL came IA bulky package.
Il contained the vii pf the deceas-
ed writes in Spanish, al-o the
English translation, which men
toned Mr. james 0 tIiner as guar
dian &c. 1t appears to he properly
executed, wish official seal affixed
&c. In company with tie viii
came a court order stating that the
baggage of the deceased would be
sold at auction in 40 day unless
the court costs Of S745 vas paid.
This Mr.. tIiner was to simply adj
vance until the baggage could be
redeemed and the bank draft pro-
cure and then the fortune and girl,
accompanied by the Cody chap
lain would sail for An lea and
soon land at Mr. liners home. IL
was at this point that Mr.. l1iner
made the remark that he believed
it would be cheaper to attend the
auction.
1t was with the will that a little
mourning envelope came and in it
letter from the girl, Emilia, MIR.
Iiiner's wou!d-be niece. Her pho
tograplr> accompanied the letter,
which shows her to be the same
Emilia who was to be the niece Of
Mr.. Bumgarten, for The picture Of
her in the Baltimore paper and the
one received by MIR liiner are Of the
same person.
In her letter Emilia grieved about
the death Of her father, Wishing
she could visit. his tomb before
leaving for America etc.
Cine thing IN the swjndIe which
Mr. IIiner might possibly have been
picked up on. was that in search
ing the old family records he found
that there were two Aiary liners,
one Of whom had been lost sight Of
by the family.
This is the winding IN Of the re-
markable scheme, which if it were
reality would be enough to make
a tender hearted man shed tears,
but to think it's all a deep, black
lie for money.
Bat, the most remarkable thing
in Mr. liners experience with these
crooks we have not yet related.
Shortly after receiving the first
letter something prompted him to
go to his fathers old papers to see
if ho could get any light on it, and
there he found letter, which for
some reason his father had not
OPENED, and from its general APP
pearance. being very similar III
MANY PARTICULARS to the letter just
recei, ed, he was lead to believe that
the same party had written both.
As the old letter did not unfold
such a deeply laid scheme, Mr..
Hiner was able at once to detect
fraud, and for that reason was sUS
picioas Of the letter that followed
50 long after.
The old letter was dated, Vaien-
cia, Spain, Feb p. 1893 and was
directed to J. b. lIiner. The writer
claimed to have heard Of Mr.. Iliner
during his stay at Monterey six
months before, and asked if he
would not assist him in securing "a
sum Of $4,000 francs ne was forced
to hide in this ncighborhood, lie
being treasurer Of Il horse regiment.
Of the hiding place he had made a
topographic plan with aid Of
metallic tape measure. He was
called away then on account Of the
sickness Of his - year old daugh-
ter. and because it was government
money he had bid he was impriSon-
ed for Is years, to be served out in
Cuba.
He wanted Mr. IIiner to advance
money so he could get his trunk