Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-01
ATTEMPT TO WORK LET'S.
Old Spanish Fake Tried on Him But
Fails


Col +. c.. Let's, formerly of this
city, has had his experience with the
old and time-worn Spanish swindle OF
a Spanish srandee in prison, a beau
tiful daughter in need of protection
and a fabulous fortune ready for the
plucking, but Mr.. Let's has bought
groceries so long on differentials as
to make him inquisitive He wrote
the American consul at Madrid before
he put UP his money and was so well
pleased with his correspondence that
he offers it for publication:
| Mr. Let's writes the T.-R., saying:
A few weeks ago I received a lengthy
letter from Madrid, Spain, the writer
claiming distant relationship, and
claiming his name the same as mine:
telling story of his being a political
prisoner, with a hidden fortune. a
young and beautiful daughter, and if
we would give her q home he would
turn over his fortune to us
knowing on the face of it that it was
a fake, pure and simple. and knowing
Mr. Collier, our American representa-
tive at Madrid, I wrote him for in
formation regarding this swindle, and
asking if there was not some way
whereby it could be exposed. have a
reply from his private secretary (Mr.
Collier being at present absent), which
reads as follows:
american Legation. Madrid, Dec. 10,
1908. +. c. Let's. ESQ.,, Chicago, Ill
Dear Sir: In reply to your letter Of
recent date. in regard to an estate in
Spain which you have been told has
been left by a relative Of yours, I beg
to inform you that the whole matter
is swindle and an attempt to obtain
money from you by false pretenses.
There are on file at this legation hun
dreds of communications received from
people in the United States to whom
letters similar to the one you received
have been sent There has been in
existence in this country for upwards
of thirty years an apparently we'll or
ganized band of swindlers, who work
upon the same lines that have been
used in the attempt to deceive you.
you may be sure that there is no truth
whatever in the statements made to
you by the people on this side in this
connection. If you were to continue
the correspondence with these swind
lers. they would send you copies Of
court DEGREES, testaments, wills, ETC.,
all tending to support their statements,
but warn you they are forgeries.
Recently within one week one man
in Iowa and another in New Hampshire
have each sent $500 here to pay the
expenses of the reputed daughter to
America. Two other men have arrived
in Madrid. having iourneyed all the
way from Montana, for the purpose of
taking the same child to their home;
and a priest in Columbus, O., has in
formed me that members of his parish
had started to mortgage their farms
in order to raise money to send to
these swindlers. In the past few
months victims from nearly every
state of the union have written to this
legation.
CAS- you have been saved financial
loss by the Information here sent you,
ask you in return to help save others
from being swinfled and to tighten my
labor in the matter (my correspond
ence in connection with it being bur-
densome) by Immediately giving to the
newspapers of your locality an account
of this swindle, so that publicity may
kill it.. Efforts are being made TO bring
the parties to justice here, but the only
effective remedy is a public and COM
plete exposure of the absolutely false
and fraudulent character Of the entire
scheme. am, very truly yours.
DUDLEY w. FAY.
Private Secretary"
"Mr Collier is at present in the I'm
tied States
You will note he suggests this be-
ing given all the pLShcity possible
thru the agency of the newspapers. You
will also see that d great deal of mon
ey is being sent to Spain. 1t is the
same old story, people trying to get
something for nothing, or practically
nothing, and waking up to find that
their good American dollars have gone
into one of the worst gold brick
schemes that has been worked by the
Slick" confidence man in Europe. Be-
lieve me,
Very sincerely yours.
F. C. LETS.