The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-31

ment OF state IL 81 ,.sxs~(fHzy> ,sfssl
Washington is The 1sSys SIC
so-called Spanish 80 h1Sl1 za..rE''>l
Swindle" Il h | S
has been going OH
for several years sS&
and is proving dit --
Gcult to suppress because or the
numbers and the nationalities Oh me
persons engaged in II. The lntenueu
victim first receives letter from 4
man in prison in Barcelona charg'
"a with political offense in Cuba. the
prisoner represents himself as pelhs
al the point OF death with but one
friend, the good prison priest, "ho
will occasionally smuggle letter out
CT the prison. The prisoner is lch'
He has fortune amounting TO moro
than $4,000 on deposit in tho United
states, but the certificate OF deposit
is H. a secret receptacle in his valIse.
Which has been taken in custody by
the court at Carthagenia He has al
so an only daughter who is his dying
thought. There is no one IN SPAN
10 whom ne can commit her
WIN the kind American accept tho
Guardianship OF the darling daughter
and the custody OF her fortune In re-
turn for one-fourth OF the latter !
Usually the claim is made that the
daughters mother was an American
ana distant relative OF the party ap-
plled to- II the trust Is accepted mo
good priest will go TO America ana
take the daughter. but there is ono
condition. The kind American or dis
tant relative is requested 10 SEND
|, money 10 liberate the Nalise and per-
! haps pay the travelling expenses OF
the daughter and the priest The
money is 10 be sent 10 the priest
! whose address is given. A series OF
letters may follow The prisoner VIII
write pathetically that his strength
! is failing fast and beseeches the kind
American TO be good TO his darlins
daughter Then the priest writes In
very bad English concerning the pris-
oners death and states that the
daughter is now under his care. lie
may enclose a newspaper clipping an
nouncing the death of the famous
Cuban patriot. sometimes called La
| feute, and referring to the hidden
valise and the orphan daughter.
This swindle has been going on foi
some ten years and IL is incredible
the amount Of money that has been
realized Confederates in America
furnish the swindlers with names oil
Americans who may have had rela
t.ves marrying Cubans Only las;
year A Landberg OF Boston reported
having sent $4,000 for the charges oil
the court upon the valise and the
voyages of the daughter and priest
who OF course never was heard from
after the money was received. De
spite the fact that the postal author
tiles Of the United States have under
taken TO prohibit the distribution CT
any mail relating TO II, the sWindle
is still going on by means OF the telc
graph and express companies. The
American is told how TO cable TO a
certain address on plea that let
ter would likely be contiscated by the
Spanish government.
For many years the securing OF un
claimed estates from Europe has Civ
en- opportunity for swindlers to ac
ouire large sums of money. Although
the department of state frequently
has taken the matter up with the
various countries and the assurance
has been given out many times that
there are absolutely no estates IN
Europe awaiting claim by distant re
latives in America. every year brings
mp new cases of this kind. The re-
cent desire of Americans to claim
noble ancestry makes II easier fol
The swindler who has secured gooC
knowledge of old family names TO ac
quire large sums OF money from
Americans who wish to believe thai
the European branch OF their family
was in possession of boundles:
wealth.
The Old Dutch Estate" swindle Ii
especially popular Attractive circn
lars are still being issued from tins
10 time describing the Annelie-Janos
Estate, the Cronlheit or Kronkei
Estates. the Weber Estate and vari
Gus others purporting TO have mil
lions OF money on deposit in tho
Bank of Holland'-a bank which. by
the way, does not exist AS most o
The European governments have Z
provision by which unclaimed estates
revert TO the Crown. ii is easy to see
how all such propositions are swind
les. but they go on with more OF less
publicity each year. although every
dollar so expended Is thrown away
While most frauds are perpetrated
through the mail. the vigilance OF the
postal authorities is becoming re-
straining, SO the clever swindler IS
rcsorting TO new methods. Tho
Free Homestead" swindle has been
worked assiduously throughout the
country during the past year.
A slick agent will locate in small
manufacturing town. putting up nj
the best hotel. He becomes acquaint
Cd with as many OF the working iner
- possible He sympathizes with
the laboring class and thinks IL q
shame that wealthy corporations
should get the best OF everything He
claims 10 represent wealthy farmer
i'm Michigan, Texas, or some remote
locality. The said farmer is pure
philanthropist with no desire 10 profit
at the expense of the poor. He owns
hundreds OF acres OF good farming
land He wishes this land TO be con
ycrted into small homestedds and
decided To worthy working people de
/ serving OF a chance to live com
| s,.,,, hI, I'm thair own homes lie is