The Washington herald., 1907-06-02
USE LETTER TO LURE
Spanish SWindlerS Write to
Washington People.
PROMISE BIG SUMS OF MONEY
Tell Americans Strange Tale of
Cash Hidden in Cuba-EPistie Says
Writer IS LnnguiShing i'm Political
PrisOn-CIaims lie Thinks Only of
Beautiful DauEhter-Seeks Aid.

Several persons I'm this city, including a
prominent real estate dealer. have re-
ceived strange communications from
Spain. supposed to be the work of a gang
OF American swindlers whose operations
Of like character in New York and Penn
sylvania nettcd them a large sum of
money.
The letters are not identical in wording,
but are apparently from the same parties.
promise tremendously disproportonate
return. one Pennsylvania farmer is said
90 have sent several hundred dollars %
the swindlcrs, in the hope that "a long
lost relative. perishiug in the bush in
Australia, would return % him. but he
has seen nothing of the money or the
relative. The letters. which have been
sent 20 Washington. and of which the
police department has been unofhcially
notified. are as follows:
Dear Sir. The writer of this letter has
heard Of you many times while he was iu
Washington ten years ago. and your rcpu-
tation for being an honest and at the
same time a courageous man Is we'll
known to him. I am incarcerated i'm
Spanish prison az Madrid. and unless
some one of influence and some money
comes 10 my assistance God knows when
I viii see the sunlight ! was imprisoned
because of political reasons which the
government Of Spain held against mo, be-
cause Of my allegiance 10 the United
States during the Spanish war.
AT the outbreak Of the war I was a
prosperous planter near Havana, but fear
ing that the war would be my ruin J
turned my Investments into money and
fought with the Cuhaus under GEN Macoo.
May God bless the islands and the United
StrteS
This. however, is not the point And
YOU. dear friend. I ann sure viii not fail
me I'm what I ann asking Not alone IS
this for my sake. but for my daughter.
who Is now iu a convent. Her mother
vas a Spanish woman. and she is Of
that type of beauty for which the wom-
IN Of her race are famous. However. I
know You only hy reputation. but my
situation here tells mo to reveal to ygu
the important affair On which you can
procure a modest fortune. saving at the
same time the life of my darling daugh-
ter, who is working in a clustered con-
vent for Der board
Il beg % beseeeh YOU. if you will help
me, to obtain the sum Of $iSH 011. which I
have hidden iD Cuba. Please come here
90 raise the seizure of my euuipage. pay
ing Co the register of the court the eN-
peuses Of = civil process, and take mp my
p0rtmanteaus. containing my secrets and
telling where I have hidden The directions
necessary % the recovery OF tho slIL
sum-
As q reward I will give you 0nc-third.
I cannot receive tho answer in jlu but
viii send "a cable 90 a person in whom l
can rely, who viii deliver 10 90 me. Surely
waiting for your cable, I ann
RLASIUS
send the cable 20 Deionius Munoz.
Lista Telegraph. Madrid Spain"
The letters were an IF this purport. and
thus far have not been taken seriously
bv any of the recipients. 10 is probable
that an Investigation viii be made bv the
police in 20 day or two.
In reply % inquiries from Massachu-
setts recently concerning similar letters.
the State Department made investigation.
through consular agents iu Madrid ~ the
supposed writers. 10 is found there is no
truth in the stories Of the writer's. who
comprise gang Of swindlers who have
mulctod Americans out Of thousands Of
dollars.