Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-21
SWINDLERS IN SPAIN
REPORT By AMERICAN NINIsTER
AT MADRID.
Play on 0ullability Of People Of
America-How Scheme
Works.

The American minister at Madrid has
made to the Department OF State an inter-
esting report on the operations Of q band
OF swindlers in Spain by whom. for q num-
Der of years past. a large number Of Amer
| lean citizens have been victimized. notwith-
standing the repeated warnings issued to
the public by the department.
The swindle consists In the dispatch of
| letters from a person in SPAIN who repre-
sents himself as the son Of q distant rela-
tive OF the person to whom the letter Is
sent While there Is an occasional slight
variance in the stories. almost invariably
the writer represents himself as having
acquired an immense fortune in an honest
manner, but to be the victim OF persecu-
tfoT. by powerful enemies. who have caused
his Arrest and imprisonment: His property
frequently stated to be as $4,000. is al
ways represented as being In securities
which have been hidden by him. generally
In the secret drawer OF a trunk which has
been seized by the police authorities, who,
igr GRANT of the papers hidden in It, will
release 1t upon payment Of costs of pro-
cess The writer invariably represents him.
self as having lost his wife. and as being
lefs with an only daughter whom. because
or the disgrace attaching to his name, he
desires to send to America to be placed
under the protection of the relative to
sta ties that Re Is In grievous condition Of
health. usually caused by wounds received
by him while resisting the efforts of the
police to capture him. He declares that he
has made will leaving all his property
to his child except a portion of 1t which he
has left to the recipient of the letter, on
condition that he accept the guardianship
OF the daughter and offers her home until
she reaches her majority or marries. He
declares that his possession Of the enor-
nous fortune mentioned is unknown to any
ore. and that the greatest secrecy must
be observed in order that no one shall learn
of 1t, otherwise it would be appropriated
by the government.
Interest of Priest
He always represents that worthy priest.
the prison chaplain, has taken an interest
in him and the little daughter; that
through the priest as an intermediary. he
is able to send the letter and the writer
requests that the answer to his letter be
inclosed In an envelope addressed to the
priest. This first letter is but the intro
duction to the swindle. In 1t no request
for money is made. 1t is a letter cal
recipient and at the same time to impress
| upon him the necessity of secrecy. If a
reply Is received (and the fact that the
swindle has now been going on for many
years shows that hundreds Of replies must
be received, others follow until finally one
| comes from the alleged priest. written upon
stationery with a letter heading with a
cross and sometimes with forged paroch-
ial seal, announcing the death In prison OF
the writer Of the first letter, and the ap-
pointment of the priest as executor of the
will. in which the child Is named as prin-
cfpal legatee, but In which the American
relative to whom the letter was sent is
| named as guardian and as a legatee. There
| is also invariably inclosed that which ap-
pears to be a newspaper clipping telling
Of the death of the prisoner also giving
some fact which to the reader is corroba-
tory of the report Of vast wealth, and al
ways there Is a reference to the orphaned
daughter who Is in despair until she can
learn whether American relatives will re-
ceive her into their homes. In addition a
great number Of instruments, doubtless all
forged, but bearing revenue stamp, notorial
seals. court certificates and court seals, so
perfectly executed that they resemble the
originals very decidedly. are fnclosed. These
papers consist of the reputed will Of the
deceased. letters Of guardianship. letters
testamentary. ETC., all tending to confirm
the false statements made In the earlier
letters. However little excuse there Is for
being deceived by the first letters which
are received, the subsequent documents
are so authentic in appearance that any
one might without appearing credulous,
give full faith to them
After the party has been convinced Of the
existence of the property, etc, a request Is
made for money to pay court expenses or
to release the trunk with its valuables from
attachment, or to pay the travelling ex-
penses Of the orphan child to America or
for some other purpose.