The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-07-05
Hunco Game 10 SO Old That It 10 Gov
cred With Cob Webs and
Dark Green
Moss. Is.
AUTHORITIES WINKING
Brand New Argument Against Home
Rule In ireland 10 Disasters
to Ocean Going
steamers.
IBy Ed. L. Keen, London Correspon-
dent OF the United Presa1

[By Ed L. Keen, London Correspon-
dent OF the United Press.1
LONDON. July 4.-The Spanish
prisoner" that hoary old fraud who
requires only slight financial assist
ance to escape from one OF King AL
fonso's dungeons. Is hard at work
again extracting dollars from credu-
lous fortune-seekers In England, but,
moving with the times. he has put on
q few modern frills. In order to prove
his veracity he hacks mp his state
nents with purported clippings from
American newspapers. These clip
pings" are OF course from neither
American nor other publications, but
have been very cleverly prepared es-
pecialiy for the occasion.
Fairly convincing until closely
examined. they set forth how A. Ivan
oyitch. noted Russian banker,
"eloped' several months ago with
some $3,75O.000 OF his trusted clients
money. The prisoners letter. written
from Madrid and addressed to moder-
ateiy weli-toAdo persons whose deaths
have recently been announced and
whose heirs might be expected to fall
for the pathetic as well as tempting
an old dear friend OF the deceased,
tells how he was followed to New
York, and the clippings confirm his
story that his arrest was affected by
two New York detectives after they
had conferred with the American
home secretary Incidentally the
clippings leave no doubt as to the ac-
tivity in the case of the Russian am
bassador, who courteously granted the
reporter an interview on the subject.
Poor old Ivanovitch next relates with
much detail how he managed to make
getaawy 10 Spain only to be rear
rested there and held pending extra
dition proceedings Then he promises
his old friend liberal share Of the
swag II the 1atter-or his aGent-win
finance his defense. There are the
came old references to the prisoners
beautiful daughter who would make q
most excellent wife for the Good Sa-
maritan should he happen to need
one. and to the portmanteau contain
ing a secret packet in which full d.
ACCltOhS 01O SisCh AOW ~ AAN SlS
stolen treasure.
Scotland Yard has been flooding the
country with fresh warnings against
this rejuvenatef fraud, but almost
daily complaints are received from
persons who have been victimized by
1t. The British officials are consider
ably peeved at the Spanish police.
who they allege could easily stamp
out the svindle IL they felt disposed
to exert themselves. As the frauds
are always at the expense of foreign
ers, it Is strongly suspected that the
patriotic Spanish officials are not
aYerse to conniving with the bunco
men for satisfactory consideration.
The American embassy in London
IS having similar trouble on account
OF the unclaimed English estates"
swindlers who have been circularfztng
the middle west of the United States
extensively OF late. Letters from boz
gus lawyers requesting permission to
take up the addresses claim to a
-large estate lying in chancery" read
plausibly enough TO the recipient, but
these properties are quite as myth
cal as the Spanish prisoner. There
are no large unclaimed estates in
chancery, lying" or otherwise.