Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-02
WRITERS ASK FOR CASH
Character of Stories Told by Alleged
Swindlers.
CAPT BoARDMANs EXPERIENCE
One American Fell Into Trap, But
Cable Message Stopped Delivery
of Money Package.

Amusement has been afforded several
residents Of this city during the past re"
DAYS by the receipt of letters from SPAIN
trc sender endeavoring to convince them
that fortunes are awaiting them IN OF
,bou, Madrid Similar letters were sent
to different parts OF the United states
few months ago. copies being puphshen
e., -,,. Star at the time. 1t is invariably
cot forth that the writer - In a prison.
ttat hr knows where immense sums OF
money are hidden. and IN order for MIN 10
sa,Dra mis- release he must have cash
suffI,,,-nt 70 use in hrihing The prison.
k.auar The sender Of JAe letter includes
., girl in tn. case usually I'VE niece OF
deceased brother or other relative OF lhe
intended victim. inc latter OF 'lie gun
being dead Photographs OF the gii ac-
company the letters. and IN some instances
a written message from the girl "cco'h-
paniCs them. ~ -. .L
The police entertain no suspicion that me
ATTEMPTED sxindia - carried on exclusively
nv Standards bat think that Americans
are behind the game, as knowledge OF the
family connections of the intended Nlctm
is displayed So far as the ponce nay
been able to ascertain none or those VINO
have received such letters have any ldea
of sending cash to the writer. In me hrS'
letter received the writer tells OF the SrI,
who is anxious to come to the hlteu
States and conveys the information 'lat
as soon as he is released from prison he
will be able To get the money hidden years
ago.
Request for Cash.
Usually the writer makes it appear that
h. has only a short while TO remain in pris-
on. and to make his story seem more en-
ticing he tells of how he has had the letter
srnuggled out Of prison and mailed. In
second letter request is made for cash
usually several hundred dolars-but no
resident OF Washington has yet sent any
money in response TO the letters so lar as
the police have been advised The receipt
of such letters is an old story 10 inspector
hartman and they always prove source
of amusement to him. 1t Is always the
same no matter whether the writer pur-
ports 10 he a priest who mas bnen sentenced
for A political crime or a banker VINO mas
robbed a bank in ST. Petersburg or Rome
and been arrested in Madrid. The only OBJ
Ject of the sender of the letters is 10 obtain
money
Inspector Boardman had an amusing ex-
perienCe two or three years ago when he
was called upon to aid a man VINO nad
fallen into the trap set by the Madrld
swindIcrs The man had obtained a loan
upon property and actually sent the money
requested. ITO lie used in liberating the
dying prisoner" 1t did not dawn upon him
that hn had been swindled until after he had
from his home in Pennsylvania for assist
ance lie reached here in time 10 have In
sp,.ttcr Boardman cable a message to have
the money package returned.
Comment by Detective.
'It is remarkable that such swindlers tell
such unrea sonable stories in some of their
letters" one of INSPECTOR Boardmans de-
tectives remarked to Star reporter last
night And" he added, lit is also remark
able that they do catch some victims l
saw one letter not long ago in which it
stated that the sender had robbed bank
in St Petersburg and That he had been
Jailed in Madrid He had the proceeds or
the robbery buried. and all that was neceS-
sdry was to get money enough to buy his
way out of prison. Then he would get the
stolen money and divide il. He even went
So far as to serd what purported TO be Il
newspaper clipping 10 make his StorJ
plausible
one of the most interesting letters re
ceived from alleged swindlers in Spain dur
ing recent weeks reads:
The writer. who is a distant relative. ard
of whom YOU have probably never heard.
is incarcerated in a Spanish prison in
Madrid l was imprisoned because of po-
litical grievances which the Spanish gov
eminent held against me because of my al
legiance with the United States during the
Spanish war.
Was a Prosperous Banker.
AT the outbreak of the war | was a
prosperous banker. l turned my invest
ments into money and fought with the
Cubans-may God bless the Island of Cuba
and the United States. This however, is
not to the point. And you. dear relative, l
know will not fail me in what am asking.
Not alone is this for my sake. but for my
daughter, who is now in convent Her
mother was "A Spanish woman and she is
of that type OF beauty for which this coun-
try i famed.
However. | know YOU only from good
inquiries here. My sad situation tells me
TO reveal TO you the important affair in
saving al the time the life OF my
darling young daughter. Before being i'm
priSOned here / established as a
banker in Havana. as you will see by the
iuCOSed article from one of ten English
newspapers. which published my arrest in
London.
Offer of Reward.
Il beg To beseech you If you will help
me to obtain the sum of $4SD.OOO l have
hidden III Cuba. Please come here TO raise
the seizure of my equity, paying to the
register of the court the expenses of my
process and take up my packages. con-
tanning the secrets and telling where |
have hidden the directions indispensable 10
the recovery of the said sum.
AS d reward | will give you one-third,
SlGD.C1. | cannot receive the answer in
jail. but you will send cablegram To a
person of my reliance, who Will deliver il
10 me. Surely waiting for your cable 10
instruct YOU OF my secret" etc.
No formal complaint has been made to
the police about the receipt of the letters.
mentioned. hut it is likely that the local