The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-07
The So-CaNed
Spanish Stumble

SdIlSned the COSTS OF the trial. Inc
prisoner has an only daughter; dying
in his prison, his sole thought is of
: this beloved offspring. He has no
friend or relative 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 only knows through hearsay or the
family tree. Will the distant relative
assume the guardianship of the darl-
ing daughter, and the darling daugh-
ter's fortune of about 100000? II
the distant 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.
lea, the land of the free and the
home of the brave" with the darling
daughter
| The above is generally the first let
ter of the series. 1t is quickly fol-
lowd by another in which the prisoner
pathetically states that his strength
is rapidly failing and the end is near.
He beseeches his dear distant 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 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 execu
ton and start for the United States
as soon as he shall have received the
necessary funds from the distant rela-
tive. The good priest frequently en-
closes with his letter a bogus news
paper clipping announcing the death
in prison at Barcelona of the famous
Cuban patriot sometimes called Au-
gustin Lafiente); the newspaper no.
tice also speaks cunningly of the con-
fiscated valise and the darling daugh-
ter
1t is a simple scheme, but present
ed in such a plausible way that al
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 a onefourth
interest therein as an additional
recompense.
Naturally the first impulse of the
distant relative is to ask a lawyer or
Judge or some authority what
course he ought to pursue in the prem
ises, but as he thinks of doing this
his attention is taken by the warning
in the prisoners letter beseeching him
not to mention the matter to any liv'
ing soul lest the secret of the valise
creetly betrayed.
The valise, after all, with its 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 $50 cum
ningly set forth by the prisoner) is
very evident to the distant relative
and so he quite frequently preserves
the secret intact, and instead of con
American consul general at Barcelona
he quietly sends a draft for the sum
: demanded 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 daugh
. ter in the course of time pass out Of
his life forever, leaving him only an
uncomfortable memory of the money
he so cheerfully contributed TO the
confidence game.
For nearly twenty years these same
knaves have been practicing theil
swindle, and it is needless to sugges
that they are very carefully organ
J lied; they have confederates not onl,
? in the United States but in most othe1
countries. The confederates in Ques
ton select man and find out al
; they can about him; they get hold o
! family names, family origin, and fam
t lily characteristics. This information
is transmitted to the rascals in Spain