Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-23

~ ADRID, July eff saving sense
kE of humor is possessed by the vari
We Gus members of the famous Span
' II ish Prisoner gang-'wanted' so
long for frauds the world over
their present fate must strike them as
slightly ironic For, Geographic dis
patches Will have Informed readers. the
Industrious swindlers who got rich by posing
as inmates of Spanish prisons are now in
generated in the strongest jail in this coun-
try and likely to spend the next decade or
two In learning what the lot of a real Span
ish prisoner is like
OF the worldwide operations of these en-
inent knaves and the wonderfully syste-
matte way in which their trade" con-
Quoted some idea was given In the brief
announcements of their capture. But the
story of how Louis Gonzalez, Rafael Gabria
and their confederates finally were lured
into the clutches Of the authorities has not
yet been told. / am able TO give ii as the
result of an exclusive interview with Police
Inspector NiscdO. who CO-OpeTated in the
capture of the league.
The Spanish prisoner" trick Itself has
been exposed too often to need any descrip-
tion here. The process never varied. II
always began when the intended victim in
the United States, say. or in Russia, re-
Ceived a letter supposedly written by an
officer languishing In a Spanish dungeon.
Prior 10 his Imprisonment, the recipient of
the letter was informed. this officer had de-
posted a huge sum Of money in secret
place the situation of which he was pre-
pared 20 reveal on condition that the person
addressed would oblige him with a com7
paratively small sum of ready cash.
Although II had been known for years
that the system which found victims in
practically every civilized country on earth
had it's center in Madrid. until recently all
the efforts of the police here TO locate the
headquarters of the phenomenally success
full swindlers proved unavailIng. For some
months previous to the final arrest of the
gang, however. an unusual number Of swim
dies committed or attempted against pro-
vincials or foreign subjects by the Spanish
prisoner league had been reported to the
municipal authorities of Madrid. Such de-
nOuncements came from various parts OF
the United States. different European coun-
tries, and even from South America. The
greater part of them. however, emanated
from Germany. which seemed 10 have be-
come the chief operating country of the
skillful defrauders-
Finally, in the early days of last May
the German consul general at Madrid Herr
Locker, received letter from mauufac-
turer at Strasburg. one Max Mathenberg,
who wished 10 know II IN the prisons OF
Corunna there a major of cavalry
named JaQuet. sentenced for a robbery
The major had written to Mathenberg
and offered to reveal to him. through an
agency office of Madrid. the hiding place
of a treasure OF 100000 pesetas providing
The German sent him 5000 francs, which he
needed urgently. through the same agency.
This letter the consul general promptly
handed over to the governor of Madrid
who called In the expert police inspectors
Senores Nisedo and Puga and Detective
Morcatelli, with whose aid he arranged a
simple but rather ingenious stratagem for
arresting the intending swindlers. Follow