The sun., 1912-08-05
new SPANISH PRISONER
SW|NDlES ARE EXPOSED
Recent Variations Of Scheme
Are More Dangerous to Dupcs
Than Old Ones.
ENGLISH BITING RAPIDLY
Latest Fraud Involves Actual
Visit Of Rich Easy Mark"
to Spain.

trous to certain crcdulo,is Americans. has
recently come ~ light under two now DIS
guises. N is being practised with shch
success that Robert Fraser. Jr.. United
States Consul at Valencia. Spain ha- deemed
|, necessary to send out an Official warning.
The parent swindle. often simply known
in the United states as the Spanish swindle.
from the fact that IL was worked for mora
than thirty years from Spain as a head
Quarters. was q very clever and. as amply
proved by the fruits that its perpetrators
garnercd, a very lucrative fraud. In one
year alone creduious and tender hearted
Americans were muctcd to the tune OF
so. 900 and that did not include tho large
number who must have preferred pocket
ing their losses in silence rather than adver-
tise their vullibility.
The same old scheme in two new dis
guises equally alluring. has come TO the
surface within the last month. II is ap-
parently being perpetratcd NOR" actively
in England than IN tn" United Stat"s, but
some folks on this side of the water have
swallowed the bait
About twelve cases of EngliSNmen who
have b.cn separated from their money
were referred to ihe British Consul AT
Valencia in one n""S.
In the original OF tuhan prisoner swindle
the stage was set in this way.
H' oI@lN Win 81 'ou'''h- i'''''
TO the proposed American dupc from
dying prisoner. said prisoner has been
cruelty prosecuted Ivy powerful political
enemies and IL immured IN a military
fortress ~ Valencia. beyond hope %! release
and with only the faint satisfaction Of being
able to cummuni"at" 20 the outside world
through the friendly Intervention of n kind
hearted chaplain The dying man claims
relationship. through his dead w''c-iod
bless her memory with the American to
whom the letter is addressed. In fact the
dying man would never have boon abb"
to have Communicated with the American
were |; not for mention that had been
made by his dearly beloved wife OF thi-
distant relative.
An added interest is impaired TO tho
situation 10y the introduction hf a Young
and only daughter. hcauti:ul but soon TO
become an unprotected orphan. If III" dear
| relative IN America fails to com. 10 the
rescue
The prisoners effects. sad to tell have
been seized by the spanish military courts
TO pay the expenses OF the prosociii io!I.
Among these effects. though and here IL
where tn. distant relative really begins to
become interest.d-s a c,inningly devised
vllisc in which the prisoner has s"creted
"A Bank OF England voucher for Ia 5000.
| This money was accumulated by him in
| cuba and deposited for safety in London on
his way home Fortunately tho existence
OF the money il unknown to his enemies
and he. the dying prisoner. intends 10 settle
IL on his daughter and the American rcla-
tive.
That ends the nr.t act The distant
| relative. IL he is the right sort, replies en-
coura cingly and thcreupon the dying pris-
oner dies and his friend. the chaplain. tab es
up tho correspondence ihe chaplain
mournfully conveys the sad news in a letter.
enclosing a legalized COPY oi the dead
mans last will anu testament. This is
drawn on oNcidl paper, IN the archaic
language peculiar TO such documents, and
| apparently attested hy the Necessary
! notarial signatures and scaled nd"r
| this last will OF the dying prisoner the
American is appointed solo executor and
| guardian of the beautiful orphan. who
| enclo,es her photograph. Will "A i"w ,n"s
of tear stained broken English, lnvok lng
tender memories OF her dead American
mother
| his nand on at least halt ot that Sl.j.Wp
lying IN the Bank of ENGLAND and /. IN th'
proper frame OF mind for the climax, I!at
comes when the faithful old chaplain for
| wards u fOrEcd certificate Of the military
tribunal. specifying the exact sum always
from $500 TO s. 200. required To llt"rate the
desd mans effects III. ,aiisc still contains
tho hidden vouChcr-nnG -ond the ward Ia
her relatives across the rea.
| While the probability ul this being a
al s have SSen :" :" n%s ncGsS
written and the legal documents ana s"ai-
80 clcverly COunterieucd that the deccpj ion
mas been worked with marvellous success
In most cases. too. an american accoinplics
of tho gang has been busy looking NJ
Family histories on tins sid" o! the water
land obtaining the name oi some well known
relative. several generations back. Whicl
the prisoner III Valencia bcrtows upon h,'
dear. dead wife aud which is iinmedlatciI
recognized by the American.
The two limitations that are now bcin.
practised are very much like the origina
in principle. though different in detail.
In one case il is Russian banker VIII
has aUscondrd with 3.M~.oo ruble, aud la
shot a coInpa,riot while IN hiding IN Lon
don. In this case ; tn. Russian banker
paper clipping in English giving his his'or
and the story Of his arrest he letter @
course tells about his por'manteau. wit
n secret pocket, containing HE ,ouche
for a+so.,Ol. The prisoner IN this Cn-e Offer
a third of the S4~.Vo 70 tnn, Amerios
sucker. II he will rescue him. Iic in~tric,,
the victim not to write but to cable il h
is Interested and willing to assist an VI
fort unat. prisoner. he rest follows /
practically the m same Tay way " az IA ths % case !,
tanned on the pretcxt of a clever plan whiC
Will result in the prisoners rscape,,
prisoner swindlc as related by the | ntc
States Consul at Valencia Is much MOI
oleverly done. tt the same tirne II is nor
dangerous, IN NHlS SNiHhlc DdHk'
plays the leading part. The scene open
like the last. though more guarI.'iiy. an
with no mention Of murder. lh. Nictii
| j. earnestly requested not to write but I
cable To a certain address in Valencia.
the American re- ,pOnds he il asked to hrin
81 400 in gold in order TO pay III" cost an
free the prisoners effects. tie j. assured
however that he will have to pay nothn
until, through the and of a friendly prise
guard. he has actually seen the hidde
draft and Cahled to New ork bank /
inquire OF " is good.
| This feature. apart from tn" ronvinrin
tone OF the l"tter and the perfectly conn
terfeited documents. seals and n"wspaDe
clippings. is the most plausible one con
nected with the scheme, The danger lie
in the fact that tho prison guard l. 10 as
for leave Of absence for the PURPOSE q
meeting the American nt Iarago1a on hi
way TO Valencia.
This meeting is arranged on the cxcus
that the American and tho guard are I,
meet the bankers daughter In that cit,
where tho authorities hav" placed her Il
an asylum. The American Is 10 wear
handkerchief around his wrist a. he step
from the train In /aragoza, Also h" Is l.
prooeed immediately to a certain hotel,
this variation of III" sW,ndle Is tha, IN
dune, having arrived at Iarasola wi,
81 tO0 ia cash. i, likely to sufer hodil
harm as wcli u. los, Of his money IL hc show
: Il sign of waN"ring
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Wettcst Town In the World.
From The Sa,dannh GA N'r,