The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21
LOADED FOR SPANISH
HIDDEN GOLD FAkIRs.
BUT AUTHORITIES BEAT JAMES
Edwin TO THEM.
Minneapolis Cigar Dealer, Receiving
Letter from Imprisoned Relative
Promising Gold and Beautiful Niece
for Aid, Sees Thru Game and frames
Rich Reply Graft Had Been
/, Discovered.

Spanish gold has no charms for
James Edwin, the Minneapolis cigar
dealer and former major in the Eff
teenth Minnesota. Still, when he re-
oeived letter from an alleged distant
relative, also war veteran and now
incarcerated in a military prison at
Barcelona, Spain, offering him Is per
cent of $3.50 900, banked somewhere in
New York, and the guardianship of a
charming niece, he answered it.
Now he is suffering from all the
pangs of a budding author over his first
rejection, because his carefully pre-
pared letter has been returned un-
opened. The letter dispatched to Bar
celona under double cover, as direct
ed in the letter from Mr.. Elwir's srel-
ative,' was masterpiece Of compost
tion and he looked forward to an in
teresting and perhaps instructive cor
respondence with his long-lost kinsman.
Knew Game: Joked.
The international confidence men
who undertook to extract some of Mr..
Edwin IS coin sent the conventional ac-
count of hidden wealth and a beautiful
daughter immured in convent. Mr..
Edwin might share in the $4,000
sailed down in the New York bank if
he would aid in recovering the docu,
ments which would induce the banker
to part with it. This letter was signed
"Colonel Ruis, Cellule No. l0O."
The Minneapolis man had heard of
this little game before and had nc
money to invest in hidden gold and
l6-year-old nieces, but was quite will
ing to pay postage on what promised to
be an interesting correspondence. With
the aid of a friend the major concoct
ed letter which was Roland to the
colonel 8 Oliver. ss%
He dwelt upon the beauties of his
country place in Richfeld, one of the
most beautiful suburbs of the magnifi
cent city Of Minneapolis, where sur
rounded by his rich orchards, he wa.
living in leisure after, life spent II
the camp and mart. Money was M
object to him, but he would be delight
ed to have well-bred niece to preside
over his home and cheer his childles.
old age. ...s..... - ID ..-.a
80 Had Royal Blood.
He wished to learn more of his I'm
fortunate kinsman, and more still O
that kinsman g daughter. Any soldie.
in distress commanded his sympathy
particularly when that soldier was on,
Of his family. Would the colone
kindly inform him about his pedigre,
that he might trace the exact line O.
relationship. ..7---', :
He added that thru his paterna
grandmother he was related to Ouee,
Victoria and the reigning house O
England, and on that account woult
have to be particular as to the charac
ter and bearing Of his young niece. H
could receive her on probation and i
she proved worthy would take her per
manently under his protection.
The letter was bulky and it cost M,
Edwin 10 cents to send it to Senior Lui
Mora Of Barcelona, who would conye
it to Colonel Ruis in his prison cell. NJ
100, but he anticipated that he woul
get more than that amount Of annse
ment out of the reply. Now that tn
Barcelona postoffice has returned tb
letter unopened he is deeply disar
pointed.