The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-16
WOMAN IS BADLY STUNG

WUMAlS ID DAUL1 SlUNO
CROSSED THE OCEAN TO BE
ROBBED OF HER ALL.
New York Woman is Buncoed Out Of
Four Thousand Dollars by the Old
Spanish Swindling Game.
The latest victim of the time-hon-
ored Spanish swindle is Mrs. Charles
| Margers, of New York, who lost 49,
| 900 of her own money, representing
the savings of a lifetime, in addition
to $1,000 borrowed from friends.
Late in January of this year Mrs.
Margers received from Madrid let
ter signed "Serge Solovie," relating
briefly that he was an American
banker and had conducted banking
esta ablishment in st. Petersburg, Rus
sia, since 1907, but that he had re-
Gently failed, the amount Of loss be-
ing five million rabies. However,
he had managed to retain one mil
lion rubles, one-half of which was
on deposit in the Chicago City Bank.
He further stated that he was in
prison for manslaughter, having kill
ed his sweetheart's brother, who had
induced her to steal a half million
rubles from him (Solovieff) in Mad
rid; that he had a daughter Is years
Of age who had been placed in an
orphan asylum; furthermore, a check
for the half million rubles was con-
cealed in his clothes at the prison,
which would be sold at auction with
in three weeks. He admonished Mrs.
Margers not to write letters, but to
send cabiegrams to "Alvaro Corrales,
Almiranta 2 Cuadruplicado ter L.
gda, Madrid, Spain"
,, Mrs. Margers cabled a request for
full details and also asking him to
explain definitely his object In writ
ing to her. In reply she received the
second letter as follows:
"It is sad to relate that my down.
fall is due to the Russian revolution.
My wife committed suicide on ac-
count Of my losses, and I was left
with a child Is years of age. I came
to the United States, placed my
money in the Chicago City Bank,
Chicago, ILL.,, and then returned to
Spain to get my daughter. I know
that you are good mother to your
three children, and I know that you
would be good mother to my little
daughter during the time I am serV-
ing my FIVE years sentence. Pray,
come to Madrid, but first stop at the
Hotel Victoria, Calladoli, Spain,
where two prison keepers will call
and escort you to the orphan asy-
lums. They will get my daughter
and bring her to the Madrid prison.
I will then give her instructions in
YOUR presence as to how to invest the
money in the Chicago bank"
There was also inclosed faxed
newspaper clipping headed:
ARREST of st. Petersburg bank
er. Charged with fraud in Russian
and manslaughter in Spain. Inter
views of the two ambassadors. The
"clipping" purported to tell the story
of the fugitive and in a way to cor
roborate the account of hlmself
which he had given to Mrs. Margers.
Additional correspondence elected
from the Spanish prisoner" that he
was willing to give 100000 in gold
if $4,000 was Immediately forthcom-
ing. Thereupon Mrs. Margers sent
the following cablegram on FEBRUARY
12: "I will start on February 10.
Will arrive February 23."
She registered at the Hotel Victo-
ria on arrival at Valladoi. Two men
met her there, one handing her a
letter which stated that she was to
remain at the hotel for six hours,
until they brought the girl and a
check for 100000. One Of the men
demanded that she produce the
81. 900 in American bank notes. Mrs.
Narsers demurred and insisted that
she be shown the girl and the check.
Finally one of the swindlers propos-
ed that she advance $40 for the par-
pose of cabling the Chicago bank for
verifying their statements.
After an absence Of an hour the
rogues returned and gave their vic
tim what purported to be cable
gram from the Chicago City Bank,
as follows:
Chicago, ILL.,, Check No. 500 fo7
s40O,00O, issued by the London
Mexico and American Bank IS pay
able to bearer on presentation to our
bank. Scott, Manager"
This cablegram, written on an Of
fetal cable blank, convinced Mrs.
Margers, and she handed over the
$4,000. The men then left, saying
thew would be right back. or course
they never returned.
In the last issue Of the official pos
tai guide postmasters are requested
to give the widest publicity to this
swindle.
! Pnts Eullet in Heart.