The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-02-08
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The department of state, Wash
ington, has received a report from
the American consul-general at Bar
celona, Spain, in regard to the band
of swindlers operating in various
towns and cities in Spain, who make
a practice of writing to persons in
the United States respecting the i'm
prisonment of a relative and the
guardianship of a child.
The consul general states that the
alleged prisoner generally describes
himself as 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 occasional let
ter 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
depo' concealed in a secret re-
ceptaC 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 representa-
tive has satisfied the costs of the
trial. The prisoner has an only
daughter; dying in 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
this 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 assume the guard
ianship of the darling daughter, and
the darling daughters fortune of
about $4,000? If the distant rela-
tive accepts the trust one-fourth of
the prisoners entire fortune will be
the material reward The good priest
will go at once to the United States
and take the darling 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 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 in
Dictated, and, having received it, the
good priest will at once secure the
valise and start for America, the
''1and of the free and the home of
the brave" with the darling daugh-
ter.
The above is generally the first let
ter of the series. 1t is quickly fol-
lowed by another in which the pri-
soner 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 dar-
ling 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
triot sometimes called Augustin La
fiente); the newspaper notice also
speaks cunningly of the conflscatei
valise and the darling daughter.
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 a big fortune, and one-fourth
interest therein as an additional re-
compense.
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 the prisoners letter be-
seeching him not to mention the mat
ter to any living soul lest the secret
of the valise and the hidden recep-
taele be indiscreetly 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 ESQ cum
ningly set forth by the prisoner) is