anaheim-gazette 1909-11-04

FIGHT ON AN OLD SWINDLE SPANISH BAND WOULD TOUCH THE AMERICAN EASY MARK Letter from State Department at Washington Illustrates Manner of the Modus Operandi — Schemers Have Been at Work for Twenty Years—The Valise and the Child (Specially contributed to The Gazette by the State Department at Washington, D. C.) The Department of State, at Washington, has received a report from the American Consul-General at Barcelona, Spain, in regard to the band of swindlers operating in various cities and towns in Spain, who make a practice of writing to persons in the United States respecting the imprisonment of a relative and the guardianship of a child. The consul-general states that the alleged prisoner generally describes himself as a political prisoner from Cuba; he is at the point of death and has but one friend—the prison priest—through whose good offices he is enabled to smuggle an occasional letter out of the prison fort. The prisoner is rich. He has a fortune in cash on deposit in the United States, but the certificate of deposit is concealed in a secret receptacle of his valise; the valise itself has been taken possession of by the court at Carthagena, which tried and condemned him, and will be held until the prisoner or his representative has satisfied the costs of the trial. The prisoner has an only daughter; dying in his prison, his sole thought is of this beloved offspring. He has no friend or relative in Spain to whose care he can commit her. In this emergency his thoughts turn to the distant relative in the United States whom he has awaits results. Of course he waits in vain, and the poor, dead prisoner and the good priest and the darling daughter in the course of time pass out of his life forever, leaving him only an uncomfortable memory of the money he so cheerfully contributed to the confidence game. For nearly twenty years these same knaves have been practicing their swindle, and it is needless to suggest that they are very carefully organized; they have confederates not only in the United States but in most other countries. The confederates in question select a man and find out all they can about him; they get hold of family names, family origin, and family characteristics. This information is transmitted to the rascals in Spain, and letters are at once written to the prospective victim. The scheme is presented and developed in a very plausible way and many of our fellow-countrymen have "bitten" promptly and cheerfully. Under the Spanish laws a felony must be consummated before the police may act, and a mere attempt to obtain money by false pretenses does not appear to warrant arrest. The money must be actually paid over and the prosecuting witness must be present in propria persona to testify; otherwise prosecution would be useless. Recently the letters written to the distant relative have varied somewhat from the original; the political prisoner having become a noted Russian banker who absconded, leaving a deficit of some millions of roubles, killed in a quarrel in England another Russian, and finally took refuge in Spain, where he was apprehended and charged with manslaughter. This change of character, however, is immaterial, and in the future more new characters will probably be introduced by the gang. The scheme is the same, and the public is warned to place no credence in such or similar letters. WATER IS WATER THE ALCHEMY Interesting Article Subject of Rights in the Alchemy is votaries sought by converting cities, base metals of legal tender, disciples of alchemical country practiced on water, trying flow of rivers lating or ground running water strictions; in slan right blossoms impossible, simple streams is resorted parian owners upon the banks Ground water Its exchange for is—or rather strict rules. H tempts to keep and make it p A certain ran San Jose Creel the possibilities when many sets from the stream large sums for the creek. He and at the same nest-egg for his creek and part his laboratory of the water nel. Just as expected, water lated into the flow of a hundred thousand to irrigate of non-riparian the court at Carthagena, which tried and condemned him, and will be held until the prisoner or his representative has satisfied the costs of the trial. The prisoner has an only daughter; dying in his prison, his sole thought is of this beloved offspring. He has no friend or relative in Spain to whose care he can commit her. In this emergency his thoughts turn to the distant relative in the United States whom he has never seen and of whom he knows only through hearsaay or the family tree. Will the distant relative assume the guardianship of the darling daughter, and the darling daughter's fortune of about $30,000? If the distant relative accepts the trust one-fourth of the prisoner's entire fortune will be the material reward. The good priest will go at once to the United States and take the darling daughter with him. There is but one condition: the ready money which the prisoner brought with him to Spain has been exhausted; the distant relative is therefore requested to send enough to liberate the valise containing the secret receptacle and the certificate of deposit. This money is to be sent to the good priest at an address indicated, and, having received it, the good priest will at once secure the valise and start for America, the "land of the free and the home of the brave," with the darling daughter. The above is generally the first letter of the series. It is quickly followed by another in which the prisoner pathetically states that his strength is rapidly falling and the end is near. He beseeches his dear distant relative to assume the trust and be a loving father to the darling daughter. The third letter is from the good priest himself, who in brief, touching terms, and hopelessly bad English, announces the death of the unhappy prisoner; the good priest adds that the darling daughter is under his care. He is ready to put his promise into execution and start for the United States as soon as he shall have received the necessary funds from the distant relative. The good priest frequently incloses with his letter a bogus newspaper clipping announcing the death in prison at Barcelona of the famous Cuban patriot (sometimes called Augustin Laflente) The newspaper notice also speaks cunningly of the confiscated valise and the darling daughter. This change of character, however, is immaterial, and in the future more new characters will probably be introduced by the gang. The scheme is the same, and the public is warned to place no credence in such or similar letters. Every effort has been made by the Department of State and its representatives in Spain to unmask these scoundrels and bring them to justice, and the Spanish authorities have also been active and several members of the gang have been apprehended and held for trial, but so far no convictions have resulted, owing probably to the peculiarity of the Spanish law referred to in the report of the Consul-General at Barcelona. Department of State, Washington, D.C., October, 1909. NOMINATING PETITIONS Voters Should Be Careful About Signing Them The Special Verification deputy is abroad in the land. He is a new creation in the political world and he owes his multitudinous existence to the new direct primary law. His office is to go about among the busy unwary and hook them fast to the political ambitions of men for whom the aforesaid busy unwary do not care a snap of their fingers. Many are falling into the trap head over heels, because of their habit of signing all petitions presented rather than muster the resolution to say, "No not on your life." These Special Verification deputies are hired by the candidates. Their strong suit is sagacity, which they employ in hooking the right men to their respective candidates, just as they would do in starting off a subscription paper, a campaign for selling books, life insurance or any old thing. If the right men can be gotten to head the list the rest will follow. The law does not allow an elector to sign the nomination paper of more than one candidate for the same office and when one does sign such a paper he must swear with hand lifted to high heaven, that "I intend to support for such nomination the candidate named herein." Therefore, be careful not to sign any nomination paper unless the candidate has a deficit of some millions of roubles, killed in a quarrel in England another Russian, and finally took refuge in Spain, where he was apprehended and charged with manslaughter. This change of character, however, is immaterial, and in the future more new characters will probably be introduced by the gang. The scheme is the same, and the public is warned to place no credence in such or similar letters. Every effort has been made by the Department of State and its representatives in Spain to unmask these scoundrels and bring them to justice, and the Spanish authorities have also been active and several members of the gang have been apprehended and held for trial, but so far no convictions have resulted, owing probably to the peculiarity of the Spanish law referred to in the report of the Consul-General at Barcelona. Department of State, Washington, D.C., October, 1909. NOMINATING PETITIONS Voters Should Be Careful About Signing Them The Special Verification deputy is abroad in the land. He is a new creation in the political world and he owes his multitudinous existence to the new direct primary law. His office is to go about among the busy unwary and hook them fast to the political ambitions of men for whom the aforesaid busy unwary do not care a snap of their fingers. Many are falling into the trap head over heels, because of their habit of signing all petitions presented rather than muster the resolution to say, "No not on your life." These Special Verification deputies are hired by the candidates. Their strong suit is sagacity, which they employ in hooking the right men to their respective candidates, just as they would do in starting off a subscription paper, a campaign for selling books, life insurance or any old thing. If the right men can be gotten to head the list the rest will follow. The law does not allow an elector to sign the nomination paper of more than one candidate for the same office and when one does sign such a paper he must swear with hand lifted to high heaven, that "I intend to support for such nomination the candidate named herein." Therefore, be careful not to sign any nomination paper unless the candidate has a deficit of some millions of roubles, killed in a quarrel in England another Russian, and finally took refuge in Spain, where he was apprehended and charged with manslaughter. This change of character, however, is immaterial, and in the future more new characters will probably be introduced by the gang. The scheme is the same, and the public is warned to place no credence in such or similar letters. Every effort has been made by the Department of State and its representatives in Spain to unmask these scoundrels and bring them to justice, and the Spanish authorities have also been active and several members of the gang have been apprehended and held for trial, but so far no convictions have resulted, owing probably to the peculiarity of the Spanish law referred to in the report of the Consul-General at Barcelona. Department of State, Washington, D.C., October, 1909. NOMINATING PETITIONS Voters Should Be Careful About Signing Them The Special Verification deputy is abroad in the land. He is a new creation in the political world and he owes his multitudinous existence to the new direct primary law. His office is to go about among the busy unwary and hook them fast to the political ambitions of men for whom the aforesaid busy unwary do not care a snap of their fingers. Many are falling into the trap head over heels, because of their habit of signing all petitions presented rather than muster the resolution to say, "No not on your life." These Special Verification deputies are hired by the candidates. Their strong suit is sagacity, which they employ in hooking the right men to their respective candidates, just as they would do in starting off a subscription paper, a campaign for selling books, life insurance or any old thing. If the right men can be gotten to head the list the rest will follow. The law does not allow an elector to sign the nomination paper of more than one candidate for the same office and when one does sign such a paper he must swear with hand lifted to high heaven, that "I intend to support for such nomination the candidate named herein." Therefore, be careful not to sign any nomination paper unless the candidate has a deficit of some millions of roubles, killed in a quarrel in England another Russian, and finally took refuge in Spain, where he was apprehended and charged with manslaughter. This change of character, however, is immaterial, and in the future more new characters will probably be introduced by the gang. The scheme is the same, and the public is warned to place no credence in such or similar letters. Every effort has been made by the Department of State and its representatives in Spain to unmask these scoundrels and bring them to justice, and the Spanish authorities have also been active and several members of the gang have been apprehended and held for trial, but so far no convictions have resulted, owing probably to the peculiarity of the Spanish law referred to in the report of the Consul-General at Barcelona. Department of State, Washington, D.C., October, 1909. NOMINATING PETITIONS Voters Should Be Careful About Signing Them The Special Verification deputy is abroad in the land. He is a new creation in the political world and he owes his multitudinous existence to the new direct primary law. His office is to go about among the busy unwary and hook them fast to the political ambitions of men for whom the aforesaid busy unwary do not care a snap of their fingers. Many are falling into the trap head over heels, because of their habit of signing all petitions presented rather than muster the resolution to say, "No not on your life." These Special Verification deputies are hired by the candidates. Their strong suit is sagacity, which they employ in hooking the right men to their respective candidates, just as they would do in starting off a subscription paper, a campaign for selling books, life insurance or any old thing. If the right men can be gotten to head the list the rest will follow. The law does not allow an elector to sign the nomination paper of more than one candidate forthe same office and when one does sign such a paper he must swear with hand lifted to high heaven, that "I intend to support for such nominationthe candidate named herein." Therefore, be careful not to sign any nomination paper unlessthe candidate has a deficit of some millionsofroubles,killedinaqurelrelinEnglandanotherRussian,andfinallytooutridethenon-riparianstruckafortu-lookingovertodayifthehadnotobjectofsellingwaterandbelongingthemoftheirpursue.thealchemistpointoutoneterinhistuned.percolatedtoitwithoutarunningstrengthwaterhecould The courts opined that thainintheprocessacreekremainitofitsproperhimthatitmitherhe scoopofthebagbyheputapansuingfromatomofthebstenstuffforargument'sterhadbeencater,theycalledtortofthefarofcorrelative sellititooutsid alchemy,andifthegroundhewhenthearidregionmusttakeoffatthedisputation scalesonewasmayblindlyforylawindecidingportantobjecttheinsufficienttryshemustbeforedecidingarethemostp When loswaterforherCaliforniacouvalleyofahumilesofitsu The good priest frequently incloses with his letter a bogus newspaper clipping announcing the death in prison at Barcelona of the famous Cuban patriot (sometimes called Augustin Laflente). The newspaper notice also speaks cunningly of the confiscated valise and the darling daughter. It is a simple scheme, but presented in such a plausible way that almost any unsuspecting "distant relative" of European extraction would be more or less deceived by the glad prospect of falling heir to the agreeable custody of a darling daughter with a big fortune, and a one-fourth interest therein as an additional recompense. Naturally the first impulse of the distant relative is to ask a lawyer or a judge or some authority what course he ought to pursue in the premises, but as he thinks of doing this his attention is taken by the warning in the prisoner's letter beseeching him not to mention the matter to any living soul lest the secret of the valise and the hidden receptacle be indiscreetly betrayed. The valise, after all, with its concealed certificate of deposit, is the key to the situation and possession must be taken of it before anything can be done or said. This (so cunningly set forth by the prisoner) is very evident to the distant relative, and so he quite frequently preserves the secret intact, and instead of consulting a lawyer or writing to the American Consul-General at Barcelona he quietly sends a draft for the sum demanded to the good priest and paign for selling books, life insurance or any old thing. If the right men can be gotten to head the list the rest will follow. The law does not allow an elector to sign the nomination paper of more than one candidate for the same office and when one does sign such a paper he must swear with hand lifted to high heaven, that "I intend to support for such nomination the candidate named herein." Therefore, be careful not to sign any nomination paper unless the candidate named on it is clearly your man, a man whom you can afford to stand by through thick and thin until the primary ballots are counted. This is no perfunctory matter. It is at the heart of good citizenship.—California Weekly. OFFICERS ELECTED The Orange County Sunday school convention in session at the Methodist church in this city last week elected the following officers to serve the ensuing year: F. P. Jayne, Anaheim, president; L. M. Timmons, Fullerton, vice-president; Mrs. O. S. Catland, Santa Ana, secretary and treasurer; Mrs. W. D. Baker, Santa Ana, elementary superintendent; Prof. M. M. Fishback, Orange, superintendent of adults' Bible class; Mrs. F. P. German, Garden Grove, superintendent of home department; Mrs. Anna Hill, Santa Ana, superintendent of temperance department; Mrs. A. B. Embree, Fullerton, superintendent of teachers' training department. For Sale: Alfalfa hay, McCray ranch, West Anaheim. Sunset phone suburban 32x6 WATER IS WEALTH IN WEST THE ALCHEMIST OF THE SAN JOSE CREEK Interesting Article Dealing With the Subject of Irrigation and Water Rights in the Arid Western States Alchemy is an ancient art whose votaries sought to line their pockets by converting, through mystic agencies, base metal into the stuff where-of legal tender is made. The modern disciples of alchemy in the irrigation country practice their magic spells up on water, trying to transmute the flow of rivers and creeks into percolating or ground water. The sale of running water is subject to many restrictions; in states where the riparian right blossoms its sale is almost impossible, since the flow of the streams is reserved for the use of riparian owners, for the land bordering upon the banks of the water courses. Ground water enjoys greater freedom. Its exchange for the coin of the realm is—or rather was—hampered by no strict rules. Hence the numerous attempts to keep water from running and make it percolate. A certain rancher on the banks of San Jose Creek, in California, saw the possibilities of water alchemy when many settlers on dry land away from the stream ineffectually offered large sums for irrigation water from the creek. He resolved to help them and at the same time put by a little nest-egg for himself. Close to the creek and parallel with it he built his laboratory for the transmutation of the water, a long and deep tunnel. Just as the alchemist had expected, water from the creek percolated into the tunnel until he had a flow of a hundred inches, water worth a hundred thousand dollars and sufficient to irrigate five hundred acres of non-riparian land. The rancher had do with it as she pleased. The Service of the Courts The courts of law in the western states have rendered invaluable service in preventing water monopolies, curbing water speculation and protecting the supply of the small irrigator. For many years the courts alone stood between the west's water resources and the gangs of greedy speculators, fighting single-handed, without assistance from the executive or legislative branches; but the ultimate solution of the problem lies not with them. Water is too erratic an element to be compressed into calf-skin tomes. It will not abide, either in quantity, course or behavior, by legal rules and precedents, and its rapid changes are ever eluding the breathless efforts of Justice to catch up. Effective, centralized control and supervision over the water resources of the western states by bodies of hydraulic experts with quasi-judicial powers is the favorite remedy proposed by those intimately familiar with irrigation needs. Wyoming initiated the control of its water resources by such a board and other western states followed its lead, but the decisions of these various water boards and their subordinate local branches are not considered final. Whoever is not satisfied with their findings may appeal to the courts, and the losers in water disputes almost invariably exercise this privilege. The right of court reviews will have to be limited, the power and jurisdiction of the water commissions will have to be greatly enlarged before the exclusive, private ownership of one of the elements will have disappeared, before the concentrated rain of the western irrigation ditch obeys Nature's and not the common law's dictum and becomes again inseparably attached to the soil, part and parcel of the land upon which it is used to raise crops.—Walter V. Woehlke, in Saturday Evening Post. THE following table shows Angeles Investment Corp stock. The earnings began. $100 Invested 1 year $100 Invested 2 years $100 Invested 3 years $100 Invested 4 years $100 Invested 5 years $100 Invested 6 years $100 Invested 7 years $100 Invested 8 years $100 Invested 9 years $100 Invested 10 years $100 Invested 11 years $100 Invested 12 years $100 Invested 13 years $100 Invested 13¼ years REALTY CHANGING HANDS The Nathan Frost improved place of twenty acres at the south end of Placentia avenue, two miles northeast of here, has been sold to Dalton Ward of Grand Island, Neb., for $6,000. The property will be set to wal- portunity of manand help build uThis Company the most desirably several houses and office application may blindly follow the letter of the law in deciding quarrels over less important objects, but in distributing the insufficient rain of the dry country she must examine the claimants before deciding, to see whose needs are the most pressing. When Los Angeles needed more water for her growing population the California courts deprived an entire valley of a hundred and fifty square miles of its underground water, holding that this water was tributary to a stream owned by the city. The Utah courts, on the contrary, awarded the water of a diminutive swamp overflowing into a creek to the owner of the land, deciding that the swamp contained ground water, and that this ground water, though it flowed into the creek, was not tributary to it. The owner of the land in the Utah case was a lone woman who, defying the odds against her, had taken up a quarter-section of stone-dry land in San Pete county. Like manna to the Israelites in the desert, moisture began to appear on a small plot of her homestead, and a bog, less than an acre in extent, slowly developed, sending its surplus water over the intervening dry ground into Willow creek. The owners of the creek, a mutual association of ranchers, attempted to take the widow's water-cruse from her, alleging that the rivulet flowing from the bog to the creek had been dammed by the courageous woman and that the association thereby had been deprived of the tributary's flow. The courts, considering the needs of the association and of the lone widow, decided that the swamp contained nothing but ground water and that therefore, the owner of the land could REALTY CHANGING HANDS The Nathan Frost improved place of twenty acres at the south end of Placentia avenue, two miles north-east of here, has been sold to Dalton Ward of Grand Island, Neb., for $6,-000. The property will be set to walnuts and oranges. The sale was made by the Orange county realty company. The home place of Frank Baum on Las Angeles street has been sold to S. O. Walker for $6000. John Brendt of Buena Park has sold his ranch of ten acres to H. J. Zillac for $3000. PUMPING PLANT PITS All kinds of wood or brick well pit and cesspool work done in a prompt and workmanlike manner. Old pits repaired. Rates reasonable. Call on or address Ben Cook, Anaheim, Cal. Residence corner Santa Fe and Char-tres streets. Nasal Catarrh quickly yields to treat-ment by the agreeable, aromatic Ely's Cream Balm. It is received through the nostrils and cleanses and heals the whole surface over which it diffuses itself. Druggists sell the 50c. size. Test it and you are sure to continue the treatment till relieved. Announcement. To accommodate those who are partial to the use of atomizers in applying liquids into the nasal passages for catarrhal troubles, the proprietors prepare Cream Balm in liquid form, which will be known as Ely's Liquid Cream Balm. Price including the spraying tube is 75 cents. Druggists or by mail. The liquid form embodies the medicinal properties of the solid preparation. Only A Few Days Left In which you may buy stock in the Home Investment Co. At par, as it will advance 50c a Share November 6th. Buy now and own an interest in The Only Operative Building Comp'ny In Orange County Why invest in an outside enterprise when you have the opportunity of making a better investment in a local concern, and help build up your own community. This Company now owns free of any incumbrance one of the most desirable residence tracts in Anaheim, on which several houses are now being built. We have on file in our office applications for 28 houses in Anaheim and Fullerton. portunity of making a better investment in a local concern, and help build up your own community. This Company now owns free of any incumbrance one of the most desirable residence tracts in Anaheim, on which several houses are now being built. We have on file in our office applications for 28 houses in Anaheim and Fullerton. READ THIS AND THINK! EARNING POWER OF MONEY IN THE LOS ANGELES INVESTMENT COMPANY. Following table shows what a small amount of money has earned in the Los Angeles Investment Co. when the quarterly dividends were re-invested in stock. The earnings are compounded from the time the Company began business over thirteen years ago. Invested 1 year ago has earned - - $ 26.16 Invested 2 years ago has earned - - 63.74 Invested 3 years ago has earned - - 107.00 Invested 4 years ago has earned - - 156.74 Invested 5 years ago has earned - - 215.91 Invested 6 years ago has earned - - 274.59 Invested 7 years ago has earned - - 355.63 Invested 8 years ago has earned - - 444.35 Invested 9 years ago has earned - - 482.54 Invested 10 years ago has earned - - 1,497.62 Invested 11 years ago has earned - - 3,488.40 Invested 12 years ago has earned - - 7,236.80 Invested 13 years ago has earned - - 9,699.52 Invested 13¾ years ago has earned - - 11,349.31 THE HOME INVESMENT CO. Anaheim is working along the lines of the above company. Invest now and be assured of an income in the future. Now Have Over 70 Stockholders Who have invested in this Company after a thorough in- heim is working along the lines of the above company. Invest now and be assured of an income in the future. now Have Over 70 Stockholders Who have invested in this Company after a thorough investigation as to its merits, and who are among the most substantial men in this community. DON'T DELAY! BUY NOW! WHILE YOU CAN GET IN AT PAR. CALL ON OR ADDRESS HOME INVESTMENT CO. 122 EAST CENTER STREET, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA Tribune Building; Fullerton, Cal.