The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-25
SM00T MISSES A
CASTLE IN SPAIN
Spanish Hero, His Beautiful Daugh.
ter and Local Officer in Drama.
is AN OLD BUNco GAME
HOW ONE DOLLAR MIGHT HAVE
BEEN NINE HUNDRED.


The Spanish prisoner ianguishing N
BaTcelona's military bastiie until death.
possessed of a fortune and a -beautifni
laughter, his sole heiress has been REIN
garnated in q long lost relative" of Po-
hSe OFFICER ". Z. !. Smoot
Years ago the Spanish prisoner de-
Vlsed THIS bunko game with iong-dis-
ttAee relatives upon whom he yearns 10
lavish pOst-Eortem fortune along with
4 lovely orphaned daughter who wants
father 10 replace her martyred parent.
Long letters urging secrecy and caution,
written bY KIND prison chaplain. told
81 Manuel Castro. Shoots fOrefather
coming from America his military career
IN SPAIN his appointment as secretary
20 Field Marshal Campos. and later. his
arrest Tor conspiracy against his govern
meht during the Spanish-American war
after making a fortune in Cuba and de-
posting it in a New York bank
IN some way the prisoner. Manuel Cas-
IT'D SmO0t, had learned that he had rela-
lives nNlng ia Salt Lake city and the kind
chaplain carried letters concealed upon
his person cut OF the bastiie in order
that his fortune might be bequeathed By
MS daughter and his relatives.
SO unusual story as Manuel Castro
SmOOts caused Officer SmOOt 10 look for
the geucalOgy Of his old time relatives
who might have wandered off 20 Spain.
lie found that some OF his fOrefathers
went 10 Europe years ago. At first he
nibbled al the bait and answered the
ed IN the letter 10 insure his confidence.
Then the Second Letter Came.
When the second letter arrived Mr.
SmoOt turned 1t over to Judge William A.
King for advice. An Investigation fOf-
lowed The plot was discovered and in
stead OF il costing NIP. SmOOt $500 TO
bring 70 America this beautiful senOr1ta
from sunny Spain, where she couid re-
lease her fathers fortune upon the pre-
of oh nj
New York bank, the role OF the distant
relative has been the Salt Iakers a
-aa outlay OF 81 -fOrAthe cablegram and two
Decent postage stamps.
1t was IN November that Mr. SmOOt
received the first lengthy communication
from Barcelona, Spain, signed by Manuel
Castro Smoot. In mixed up English
phrases II stated that his grandfather
surname was SmOOt and that he came
from America in his youth. His grand
father married in Spain and his mother
was the only child in the family that
san NlVed. When a child he had been told
by his mother that he had relatives ia
America, but that she knew nothing about
them, He married early in youth and had
but one daughter His WIFE died While
his daughter was babe and for years be
had tried 10 care for her. lie spoke brief
iy Of his Imprisonment, but declared that
through another prisoner he had learned
that William SmOOt Of Salt Lake CITY
was OF some relationship 10 him. In the
letter WAS a CdblFEtdm WHICH ne wanted
Mr. Smoot TO send in case he cared 10
help him in his trials. II read: '"redro
Soler. Pelayo 10 Segondo. Confidence
Story of a Hero,
Smoot sent il ana q few weeks later
nc received another long letter from the
prisoner. This one told of his military
career in Spain and his appointment as
secretary 20 Field Marshal Campos. When
The Spainish-American war broke out
Manuel Castro. went TO Cuba. There he
entered into a conspiracy 10 smuggle con-
t~abund goods and dispose Of them. Their
scheme was discovered but Manuel Cas-
tTo escaped to America aud deposited
SlSo,0O0 in bank iu New York He was
located there when he received word from
q friend OF his in Spain that his daughter
was dying.
When this news reached his cars he
went 10 Spain 10 see her ana was there
The certified checks of deposit
would have been seized. bur they were
now IN his daughters possession. He
said that the matter could be- taken up i'm
court and the certified checks would be
honored.
Smoot was - receive $4,000 for his trou-
bic. lie was 70 send Tor the daughter in
Spain and adopt her leaving in her name
the remainder of the fortune. Castro was
anxious 20 have SmOot take up the matter
AT once for his health was failing and
that he was likely 20 die at any moment
tie said that Sm0Ot would only have 10
advance about S91O and the $4,000 would
pay him for the trouble.