CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, 21 September 1872, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

The CLEVER SWINDLE at LUXEMBURG. To the Editor of the Nelson Evenikg Mail. Sir, — The " clever swindle " contained in your issue of this evening should be considered as a skilled piece of rascality, if it were true. But there are several circumstances related in it, which make its occurrence very doubtful, of which circumstances I shall, for briefness sake, mention but one. It is the coincidence of the swindle with a period of general confession, at which people are supposed to make offerings in money. What that means, no one who is but slightly versed with Catholic liturgy, is able to make out. There is as little existence of a period of general confession, and a concomitant disbursement of money, as there is of a Russian bear in the moon. The whole story is, in my. opinion, a repolishing of an attempt to swindle, which took place at Luxemburg some twenty years ago, of which I know every particular. There , came, indeed, one evening, a stranger ,to -Mgr. Laiireat, who presented himself as a Bishop, whose papers were in order, and who pretended to collect for a church in America. He was allowed to say Mass next morning; but the suspicions of the assisting priest were soon aroused as to the character of the stranger, owing to the mistakes he made. Those euspicions were' communicated to the police department, the man was soon found out to be an impostor, and his clever swindle turned out a very bad job for him. I am confirmed \n ray belief that this old, long-buried, and long-fbr-gotten story has been raised again to life by 9ome Mnclever sensational outfitter— who did pot, forget the poor ' Jesuit— by the fact that not later than last "week I received news from Luxemburg from a 'gentleman who" would not have passed in silence over such an occurrence, had it really taken place again. latn,&c., - Nelson, Sept. ,2o. •;,;..- ; , ..A LuxEamußGEß.