The Kusko times., 1922-10-21
Old Spanish Prison
 Story Still Working

quit coming to Spain in search of the beautiful and wealthy princess llmpris- oned in dark, damp tower by greedy uncle who is anxious to annex her for tune.
 The historic old Spanish swindle ap parently has gone out of fashion in the United States, but it is still in vogue in other parts of the world. Germany has recently supplied quite crop of kind hearted gentlemen who advanced money for the release of the dark-eyed Spanish beauty who was suffering in rat-infested cell and slowly dying on diet of dry bread and water while the bats lowered about her head and added to the terrors of her lonely copfne- ment.
 Granada has always been a popular center for the men who have contrib uted to the relief of imprisoned beau ties. Washington Irving and scores of lesser writers have credited Granada with having more beautiful women than any other city ID the world. The legend of the Rose of the Alhambra and the stories of the three beautiful princesses, Zada, ZoraYda and Fora hayda hover about the Alhambra and make it the natural refuge for disap- pointed investors in distressed beauty. Vaudeville stars always have found the names of MooriSh prineeSseS profit able on playbills. They carry with them the atmosphere of the harem. of the yelled face and the Oriental dance. They suggest the Alhambra and mil lions of gold and the priceless sMoorish jewels which Boat odil aud his court are reported in legend to have secreted in their beautiful palace before it was surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella. Boa bail and his queen are supposed to be hiding in cavern in the neighbor ing mountains waiting for a magic call from Mohammed which will restore them to their old glory in the Alham- bra. Every tower, every turret, every , minaret and every dungeon in the old Alhambra has it's legend.
 So it is not strange that searchers for princesses should come to Granada after having sought vainly for mythical castles in mythical mountains. Most of the modern Spanish Drincesses are being held captiVes in castles by the sea. Castles by the sea are so much damper, and then it is so much more romantic for rescue parties to approach the rocky coast in ships and wave to the imprisoned princess. who will promptly tear her clothing to bits and make a rope with which she will lower herself from the gloomy tower.
 Many of the imposterS who are mar keting adventure to credulous invest oas give their princesses the names of famous women who have been dead for centuries. Moraymah and Alshah, queens of the Moorish regime who have been dead for over 409 veers, and many other celebrities of history and legend have lent their names to prin- cesses supposed to be in distress.
 hotelkeepers in Granada have be- come skilled in detecting visitors who are searching for imprisoned beauties. | They usually make very guarded in quiries and seldom admit they have been duped. Frequently they inquire for gypsy fortune tellers, or astrolo- gers, who probably charge we'll for their services. Letters concerning the distressed princesses are usually marked strictly confidential and in- structions are given that nothing must be said to anyone lest the life of the princess be endangered. Most of the dupes are too much ashamed of their plight to confess openly that they have been fooled, but an occasional victim approaches some of the foreign seonsuls or seeks the aid of the Spanish police in trying to recover money advanced to the SWindlers