The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-11-24


dress indit !. and, having received
it, the god riest will at once secure
the valise start for America. the
Gland o. I'd free and the home OF the
brave" with the darling daughter
The above is generally the frs, let
ter of the series 1t is quickly fol-
loved by another in which the p.iSo-
ner pathetically states that mis-
strength is rapidly failing and the end
is near He beseeches his dear dis
tant relative to assume the trust and
be loving father to the darling
daughter. The third letter is from
the good priest himself. who in brief,
touching terms, and hopelessly bad
Eng lish, announces the death of the
unhappy prisoner: the good priest adds
that the darling daughter is under HIS
care. He is ready to put his promise
into execution and art for the United
States as soon as he shall have re-
ceived the necessary funds from the
distant rela i've. The good priest
frequently incloses with his letter
bogus newspaper clipping announcing
the death in prison at Barcelona of
the famous Cuban patriot sometimes
called Augustin Lafiente); the news
paper notice also speaks cunningly
of the confscated valise and the
darling daughter.
1t is a simple scheme. but pre-
sented in such plausible way that
almost any unsuspceting distant
relative" of European extraction
would be more or less deceived by the
glad prospect of falling heir to the
agreeable custody of darling daugh-
ter with big fortune, and one
fourth interest therein as an addi-
tional recompense.
Naturally the first impulse Of the
distant relative is to ask lawyer or
a judge or some authority what course
he ought to pursue in the premises,
but as he thinks of doing this his at
tention is taken by the warning in
the prisoner letter beseechiug him
not to mention the matter to any liv-
ing soul lest the secret of the valise
and the hidden receptacle be indis-
creetly betrayed.
The valise. after all. with it's con-
cealed certificate of deposit. is the
key to the situation and possession
must be taken of it before anything
can be done or said This ESQ cunning
~ set forth by the prisoner) is very
evident to the distant relative, and
so he quite frequently preserves the
secret intact. and instead of consult
ing lawyer or writing to the Ameri-
can Cunsul-General at Barcelona he
quietly sends draft for the sum de-
manded to the good priest and awaits
: results. Of course he waits in vain,
and the poor. dead prisoner and the
: good priest and the darling daughter
in the course of time pass out of hi:
life forever. leaving bin only an un.
comfortable memory of the money he
! so cheerfully contributed to the con-
fidence game.
: For nearly twenty years these same
knaves have been practicing thei,
swindle, and it is needless to suggest
. . that they are very carefully orga
o nized: they have confederates not
only in the United States but in most
d otner countries. Tie confederates in
$ question select man and find out all
they can about him; they get hold Of
d family names, family origin, and fam.
e lily characteristics. This information
\. is transmitted to the rascals in Spain
and letters are at once written to the
9, prospective victim. The scheme il
d presented and developed in very
r plausible way and many of our fell.
= luw-countrymen have "bitten'
4 promptly and cheerfully.
n Under the Spanish laws a felop,
e must be contaminated before the
police may act. and mere attemp,
. . to obtain money by false pretense.
t does not appear to warrant arrest.
n The money must be actually pa;c
over and the prosecuting witness
: must be present in propria persona to
testify otherwise prosecution would b,
useless.
y ~
= Recently the letters written to the
Q distant relative have varied somewha
+ from the original; the political priso-
!. ner having become noted Russian
banker who absconded, leaving de.
felt of some millions of ru5els.
: killed in quarrel in England another
Russian, and finally took refuge il
Spain. where he was apprehended ant
charged with manslaughter.
This change of character, how
ever, is immaterial, and in tn,
future more new characters will pro
badly be be INTRODUCED bv the gang
The scheme is the same, and the pub