The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-03-28


tant relative is therefore requested
to sem enough to liberate the valise
containing the secret receptacle n
the certificate of deposit. This mon
ey is to he SEN To the good priest at
an address indicated, and having re-
ceived it. the good priest VIII al once
eclFe tae walise and start for Aaleri-
ca, the LAND of the free and the nome
of the brave" with the darIIng
daughter. The third letter is from the
good priest himself, who in brief
touching terms and nopelessly bad
English, the death of the
unhappy prisoner: the good priest
adds that the darling daughter is I'M
promise into execution n start for
the United States as soon as ne shall
have received the necessary funds
from mis- distant relative. The good
priest frequently incloses with his let
ter a bogus newspaper clipping an
no,incing. the death in the prisoner at
Barcelona of the famous Cuban pa
triot tsonetimes called Augustin La
fiente); the newspaper notice also
speaks cunningly of the confiscated
valise and tae darling daughter.
IT is a simple scheme, but presented
in sue a plausible way that almost
any unsuspecting distant relative" of
European extraction would be more
Of falling heir to the agreeable custo-
dy of a darling daughter with a big
fortune, and one-fourth interest there
in as anadditional recompense.
Naturally the first impulse of the
distant relative is to ask a lawyer o.
a judge or some authority what course
ne onght to pursue in the premises.
but AS he thinks of doing this his at
tention is taken by the warning in the
prisoners letter b~cseeching aim not
20 mention the matter to any living
soul lest the secret Of the valise and
the hidden receptacle be indiscreteIy
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
can be done or said. This $50 cum
ningly set forth BY the %prisonor) is
very evident IN tae distant relative,
and instead of consulting a LAWYER or
writing the American ConsulGeneral
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 daughter in the course of time
out of mis- life forever. lea ing
him oTFly an uncomfortable memoir
toe money he SO cheerfully con-
tributed TO the confidence game.
For nearly twenty years these same
have been practicing their
swindle, and il IS needless to suggest
they are YER carefully organized;
they nave confederates not only in
the United States but in most other
countries. The c~onfederates in G ies-
ton select a man and find ont all they
can about MIN: they get hold OF fam
ily names, family origin, aDd family
This information is
t-ar shifted to the rascals In Spain,
and letters are at once written to the
prospective victim. TIE scheme is
presented and developed In a very
plausible way and many of our fell
countrymen have bitten" prompt
" and cheerfuIly.
Under the Spanish laws a felony
mast be contaminated before the 20
lice may act. and a mere attempt to
money by false p~retenses does
appear to warrant arrest The
money must actually be paid over ana
the prosecuting witness must be pres
ant in propria persona to testify:
otherwise prosecution would be use