Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-07-06
THE SPANISH SWINDLE.
L. :. Government Warns Americans
of Clever Fraud, and Tells In
teresting Story of Its Oper-
atiOnS.

Inc department Oh SldlS, dl
Washinton, has received report
from the American Consul-General
at Barcelona, Spain, in regard TO the
band of swindlers operating in vari-
Gus towns and cities in Spain, who
make a practice of writing to per-
sons in the United States respecting
the Imprisonment of a relative and
the guardianship of 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
priest-through whose good offices
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 secret re-
ceptacle of his valise; the valise it
self 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
sumo the guardianship of the darling
daughter, and the darling daugh-
ter's fortune of about $4,000? If
the distant relative accepts the trust
one-fourth of the prisoners entire
fortune will be the material reward.
The good priest will go at once 10
the United States and take the dar-
| ling daughter with him. There is
but one condition: the ready money
which the prisoner brought with
| him to Spain has been exhausted
the distant relative is therefore re-
quested to send enough to liberate
| the valise containing the secret re-
ceptacle and the certificate of de-
post. This money is to be sent 10
the good priest at an address indi-
Gated, and having received it, the
good priest will at once secure the
valise and start for America, the
land of the free and the home of
the brave" with the darling daugh-
ter.
The above is generally the first
letter of the series. 1t is quickly
followed 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 daugh-
ter 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 frequent
ly incloses with his letter a bogus
newspaper clipping announcing the
death in prison at Barcelona of the
SuDdu pdtIlOI
called Augustin Lafiente) the news
paper notice also speaks cunningly
of the confiscated valise and the dar-
ling daughter.
1t is a simple scheme, but pre-
sented in such a plausible way that
almost any unsuspecting distant
relative" of European extraction
would be more or less deceived by
the glad prospect of falling heir to
tie agreeable custody of a darling
daughter with a big fortune, and
one-fourth 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
premises, but as he thinks of doing
this his attention is taken by the
warning in the 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 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
/ m h. 1-.a \ L.