Evening star., 1935-02-10
Library Adds to Priceless Manuscripts
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN,

There may be some taxpayers in
the United States who feel that pub
lie funds ought not to be expended
on ancient manuscripts Of chief in
terest to antiquaries and delivers into
the past. There Is, naturally, wide
difference OF opinion as to the value
of such muniments and, doubtless,
some think that no book Is worth
over $1,000, O,000-although Congress
thought the Gutenberg Bible worth
that.
That these materials, or some Of
them. have a very practical business
value Is attested by use made Of the
services of the manuscript division
Of the Library Of Congress in con-
nection with the famous Drake will
fraud. For years adventurers have
preyed on persons by the name of
Drake, living in the United States,
telling them that Sir Francis Drake
left fabulous fortune, which, dur
ing the passage Of time, has become
even more fabulous. The racket con-
sisted of writing to persons named
Drake and telling them that they
were presumptive heirs to a portion
OF the money. All that was necessary
was to remit sum Of money to
the adventurer, who declared himself
an accredited agent. The sum might
be $500 or 81 900, depending on what
the confidence man thought he could
get from his prospect.
No one knows just how much
money the American Drake family
has been defrauded Of over the last
few years. Just as no one can guess
how much has been forwarded to
the Spanish Prisoner. A good many
people who have been defrauded
shrink from publishing their gullibil-
ity. There is always a lure exercised
by lost wills and lost heirs. The
lure Of the Drake fortune was es-
pecially strong, for every American
school child had learned Of the vast
adventures on the Spanish Main OF
that great Elizabethan captain, how
he had taken rich plate fleets bound
for Spain, and was greatly favored
by the Queen.
The Post Office Department finally
took hand and the alleged ring.
leader of the Drake will fraud wa;
apprehended. But the case had Il
be proved. So the manuscript di-
vision of the Library was called upor
to help and it furnished. to be sub
mitted in evidence, a photostat copy
Of the original will Of Sir Franci!
Drake. While this was excellent evi
dence in itself, the instrument wa!
written in antique Latin of the Eliza
bethan period. The scholars of tht
Library performed the further servict
of making translation which coulc
be fully comprehended by American
Htigants. A member of the Library
staff went to Sioux City, where the
trial was held, and a conviction wa.
obtained largely through the showing
that Sir Francis had no son, had no
devised any property to son, anc
that therefore the claim of the conf.
dence man that huge fortune wa.
waiting for the heirs of the son of Sil
Francis was baseleSs and a palpablt
fraud.
New Light on American Revolution
A new acquisition of the Library
which has curious interest just now
in view of the worldwide efforts Il
establish peace and of the congres.
sional investigation into the munitions
business, is manuscript book, writ.
ten at the time Of the Revolution, BY
DR.. Alexander Bruce, an Edinburgh
physician. The manuscript is entitled
IAN Inquiry Into the Principal Cause
Of the Wide Destruction of Mankind
in Time of War and of the Slow, In.
effectual Progress and Permanency o.
Military and Naval Operations II
General" The learned physician