Arizona republican., 1909-10-25
DESCRIPTION OF SCHEME
For the Benefit of Distant American Relatives Who May Hear of Imprisoned
 Patriot and Daughter With Great Expectations

Washington, D. C, Oct 24.-Tne department of state. at Washing on. has received a report from the Amer ican consul-general at Barcelona. Spain, in regard to the band of swindlers operating in various towns and cities in Spain, who make a prac- tice of writing to persons in the Unit ed States respecting the Imprisonment of a relative and the guardianship of a child.
 The consul general states that the alleged prisoner generally describes himself as a political prisoner from Cuba; he is at the point of death and has but one friend-the prison he is enabled to smuggle an occa- sional letter out of the prison fort.
 The prisoner is rich. He has a fortune in cash on deposit in the United States. but the certificate of deposit is concealed in a secret re- ceptacle of his. valise; the valise itself has been taken possession of by the court at Carthagena, which tried and condemned him. and will be held until the prisoner or his representative. has satisfied the costs of the trial The prisoner has an only daughter; dying in his prison. his sole thought is of this beloved offspring He has no friend or rela- tive in Spain to whose care he can commit her. In this emergency his thoughts turn to the distant relative in the United States whom he has never seen and of whom he knows only through hearsay or the family tree. Will the distant relative as- sume the guardianship of the darling daughter. and the darling daughters fortune of about s30O00 If the dis tant relative accepts the trust one fourth of the prisoners entire for tune will be the material reward. The good priest will go at once to the United States and take the darl- ing daughter with him. There is but one condition: The ready money which the prisoner brought with him to Spain has been exhausted; the dis tant relative is therefore requested to send enough to liberate the valise containing the secret receptacle and the certificate of deposit This. money is to be sent to the good priest at an address indicated, and, having re- ceived it. the good priest will at once secure the valise and start for Amer ica. the land of the free and the af ha rtrffh ha 1fpu daughter.
 The above is generally the first let ter of the series It is quickly fol- lowed by another. in which the pris- Oner pathetically states that his strength is rapidly failing and the end is near He beseeches his dear distant relative to assume the trust and he a loving father to the darling daughter. The third letter is from the good priest himself. who in brief touching terms. and hopelessly bad English. 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 start for the United States as soon as he shall have received the necessary funds from the distant relative. The good priest frequently incloses with his letter bogus newspaper clipping announcing the death in prison at Barcelona of the famous Cuban pa tript Csometimes called Augustin La fiente); the newspaper notice also speaks cunningy of the confiscated valise and the darling daughter.
 It is a simple scheme, but present. ed in such a plausible way that all most any unsuspecting distant rela- tive of European extraction would be more or less deceived by the glad prospect of falling heir to the agree able custody of a darling daughter with big fortune, and q one-fourth interest therein as an additional rec ompense
 Naturally the first impulse of the distant relative is to ask a lawyer or a judge or some authority what course he ought to pursue in the premises. but as he thinks of doing this his attention is taken by the warning in thu prisoners letter be- seeching him not to mention the matter to any living soul lest the secret of the valise and the hidden receptacle be indiscreetly betrayed
 The vaise 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 Cso cum ningly set forth by the prisoner) is