The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-11-12
aid SW|NDLE
I IS EXPOSED
.a.t;can ConsuI-Ge at Bar
' r,Iooa Reports to Government
,pAN|SHfORTUNfGAME
\. !. II those Letters Have Been Resolved
~ !. fl0r;ds and il is Alleged Several
Have Been "Stung."

' ~. has received report from the
g'v ,;.s Consul General at barcelona,
s %% IN regard to the band of swind.
y onerating in various towns and
81, n Spain. who make practice Of
n.';nr to persons in the United States
..nsctnp the imprisonment of rel
'rs and the guardianship of a child.
%s Consul.Genaral states that the
.a . prisoner generally describes
vmssIf as political prisoner from
sSs he Is at the point of death and
MINT one friend the prison priest
6nu,gh whose good offices he is en-
SLat to smupglc an occasional letter
al Of the prison fort.
The prisoner is rich. He has a for.
|nrs IN cash on deposit in the United
S,tes, but the certificate of deposit is
,Nreaied in secret receptacle Of his
nle. the yalise itself has been taken
rs,ession of by the court at Cartha-
maj which tried and condemned him,
SSwll be held until the prisoner or
representative has satisfied the
|/Els Of the trial The prisoner has an
IN daughter; dying in his prison, his
n thought is of his beloved offspring.
i has no friend or relative in Spain
whose care he can commit her. In
1k emergency his thoughts turn to
n distant relative in the United States
Ihom he has never seen and of whom
Knows only through hsarsay of the
khiy tree. Will the distant relative
sume the guardianship Of the darling
hwhtcr, and the darling daughters
Brlune Of about $50, 400? If the dis
mt relative accepts the trust one
arth Of ia. prisoners entire fortune
i'll be the material reward. he good
nsi will go at once to the United
Ates and take the darling daughter
bib him, There is hut one condition.:
ready mon " which the prisoner
kght with him to Spain has been ex-
pGted; the distant relative is there
Re requested to send enough to liber.
the valse containing the secret re-
tptacle and the certificate of deposit.
ss money is to he sent to the good
PEST at az address Indicated, and,
lying received it, the good priest will
once secure the valise and start for
neica, the "the land Of the free and
home of the brave" with the dar-
sdsughter.
The above is generally the first letter
The series. 1t is quickly followed by
olher in which the prisoner patheti-
" states that his strength is rapidly
wig and the end is near. He be-
sAes his dear distant relative to as
ne the trust and be loving father
The darling daughter. The third
'er Is from the good priest himself,
70 brief, touching terms, and hope
bad English, announces the death
NE unhappy prisoner; the good
st adds that the darling daughter is
Rrh ms care. He is ready to put his
muse into execution and start for
United States us soon as he shall
ereceived the necessary funds from
Instant relative. The good priest
9uenfly encloSes with his letter
newspaper clipping announcing
oeath IN prison ut Barcelona of the
@ Cuban patriot (sometimes
Aughstin l.aiiente); the news
notice also speaks eunningly of
9hter
.sa simple scheme, hut presented
xn aplausihlr way that almost any
pc''ng distant relative OF
Tsan extraction would be more or
!, osslved by the glad prospect of
nelr to the agreeable custody Of
lung daughter witha big fortune,
fourth interest therein as an
~oal recOmpense.
ara'ly the first impulse of the
N relative is to asI. a lawyer or a
M some authority what course
Snl to pursue IN the premises,
-; S'en ne thinks of doing this his at
Is taken by the; warning in the
~ letter beseeching him not to
az 'he matter t0}sny living soul
n secret Of the valise and the
81 receptacle he indiscreetly be-
" vallse, after all. with its con-
~atlIlcate Of deposit, il the key
N. s'uailon and possession must
p" o. II before anything can be
4 'aM' This ESQ cunningIy set
~ Y .he prisoner) is very evident
e'.s instant relative, and 80 he quite
nv. preserves the secret intact,
hhssso Of consulting a lawyer or
n % the American Consul Gen
h barcelona he quietly sends a
~ the sum demanded to the
&t and awaits results. or
y waits in vain, and the poor,
lone. and the good priest and
g daughter in the course of
. out Of his life forever, leav
vny an uncomfortable memory
ne 80 cheerfully- contri
scnhdsnes game.