The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-28
he DID NOT BITE
Madrid Gang of Swindlers Tackle a
Milwaukee Man.
OLD GAME WITH NEW FEATURES
Roll of Bogus Money Will Be Sent
On to See What viii
Develop.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. ~.
Milwaukee, March ga Milwaukee
architect of the name of Brielmaier has
evidently been chosen as an easy mark >
by a gang of swndlers at Madrid, Spain,,
but, if so, the Spaniards made a mistake.
Brielmaier has received two letters signed
by Luis Rodriguez Brielmaier, who as
serts relationship with the Milwaukeean,
informing him that Luis Rodriguez has
$9S, 500 in a trunk in the form of Panama
canal bonds and negotiable paper, "signed
on the back in order to be Endorsed where
it may be necessary but that unfortu-
nately they are held by the Spanish court
as security for fines which may be imC
posed upon Luis, who, for some reason
has fallen under suspicion of the Spanish
government and is now in Jail. The let
| ters say that some money will be neces-
sary to secure the release OF Luis and
( possession of the bonds and other lseeuri
ties Mr.. Brielmeier has not sent any
money to Madrid, having been advised by
the Milwaukee police that the authori-
ties of the Spanish capital are implicated
in the attempted sWindle. ?.
The first letter from Luis Rodriguez
reached Mr. Brielmaier about Jan. l. and
indicated that an alleged priest and a
woman were principals to. the plot. The
writer said that Mrs. Annie Brielmaier,
his mother, was near relative of the
| Milwaukee people, and that he was in
danger, as we'll as daughter. He sug-
gested that Mr.. Brielmaier adopt the
daught err, for safety sake, until such time
as he can get out of prison. The fraud
was so apparent that Mr.. Brielmaier
| wrote that his daughter, Miss Clotilda
Brielmaier, who is pursuing her art
studies abroad would go to Madrid,
from which point the letters were written,
and would Investigate the matter and see
| what help could be given.
| To his surprise this did not shut off the
correspondent. They have no relatives in
| Spain, but neither this nor the prospec-
| tive visit from a member of the family
deferred Luis Rodriguez, who followed UP
his first letter with another thanking the
Milwaukee man for his kind interest, and
intimating that money was necessary to
obtain his valuable baggage. At the same
| time he introduced a chaplain, Jost Gar
| cia whose name was written in ink diff
fering from the body of the letter, indi-
| eating hat the letter itself was one of a
! form turned out by the wholesale, with
! blank spaces for such names as the
! swindlers might wish to insert.
"Be kind enough writes Luis, "to for
get not my project, give me the assist
| ance that you want, and under your word
| of having it I should die TRANQUILITY, that
| is the only wish of your very grateful
! friend
Brielmaier did not respond with money,
and the shock Of disappointment doubtless
killed Luis, for the next letter is one
written by the chaplain, who announced
| that Luis had died. This announcement
| is accompanied by a certificate to that eff
| feet in Spanish, duly sealed, as well as an
alleged newspaper clipping setting forth
| the fact. This is stage which previous
! exposures of the swindle have not
reached. The chaplain shows his fraudu-
lent character by saying that Luis re-
| ceived the saints sacrament of the
Eucharist before he died; whereas genus