The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-07-26
Spanish Grafters Seek Vic
Tins In America.
IOWA men RECEIVE LETTERS
Department of Justice Has Instructed
Attorneys To Collect Evidence
Against Fellows in Jail.

Fort Dodge, July 1S.-United States
District Attorney Faville has been in
structed by the department of justice at
Washington to collect all possible evil
dence in this state to be used in the
prosecution of the so-called Spanish
Friar" swindlers, who are now in prison
at Madrid. In spite of the fact that the
alleged principals to the swindle have
been for many months behind the bars,
they have succeeded in conducting their
game, as letters have been received in
this vicinity relating the sad tale of the
beautiful Spanish girl who has been left
an orphan with large fortune, which
is waiting to be claimed by American
relatives.
The swindlers must have secret agents
in this country who look up prospective
victims and find out their family his
tory, for the relationship sought to be
established between James Carriers, a
contractor, and the supposed orphan was
so nicely figured out and conceded so
| closely with certain phases of their
family history that they with difficulty
could be dissuaded from forwarding the
money requested by the grafters. The
| Carriers and their relations were positive
that the relationship claimed by the
swindlers actually existed.
The evidence so far collected by Dis
trict Attorney Faville shows that in
most cases the proposed victims selected
by the swindlers are of the Catholic re-
lgion and have children. The matter of
their financial circumstances also is care
fully considered by the grafters, and
while none of the wealthy is approach
ed, the person selected for the victim is
usually in good circumstances and WILL
ing to better his financial condition at
the risk of substantial sum of money.
One of the interesting features of the
evidence accumulated discloses the great
pains taken to provide system which
will fit each community and which is
complete in all details. A letter re-
ceived few days ago addressed to
Daniel Noonan, a prosperous blacksmith
of this city, told of the imprisonment
Fof the father of the girl and begged that
her relative would send for her. The let
ter spoke of fortune which the father
had acquired and which was concealed
in trunk which had been seized for
debt. Money was asked for the purpose
of redeeming the trunk and securing the
fortune.
Then came letter, supposed to have
been written by priest. 1t told of the
death of the prisoner and the great
grief of the beautiful girl now made an
orphan. 1t also inclosed what purport-
ed to be copy of the last will of the
dead man, in which he left all of his
fortune to his American relative provid-
ing he would care for the child, a pic
ture of whom also was inclosed. In this
letter also were inclosed newspaper clip
pings purporting to give an account of
the death of the prisoner. The picture
shows young and beautiful girl of ten
years, CARRIED in white and wearing
long white veil. In her hand she carries
small statue of the Virgin and a pray
er book, and her long black curls lend
interest to an extremely effective por-
trait.
There are now on file in the district
court in Ell Hospicio, Spain, the docu-
ments in the proceedings known as the
Spanish Government VS.. Manuel Ma
reno ct AL" and it is for the prosecution
of this case that the United States
government has been asked to coop
crate.