A SKILFUL SWINDLE,

Temuka Leader, Issue 1064, 6 February 1883, Page 3

A SKILFUL SWINDLE,

M. Rouher, in a letter addressed to the Justice, explains that the wonderful story recently current about the alleged discovery of jewellery and bank notes worth 8.000,000 francs, belonging to the Empress Eugenie was concocted by an assosiation establishment at Barcelona some years ago. This society, he affirms, was in the habit of writing to different people to say that a Mr So-and-so had been sent to Madrid in charge of the property in question, and had unfortunately been obliged to bury the treasure on his way, the place named being always in close proximity to the residence of the person to whom this particular epistle had been despatched. It was added that arriving in Spain the messenger had been arrested aod imprisoned, while his luggage containing an account of the spot where the treasure had been carefully concealed, had also been seized by the authorities. In order to render the tale more plausible, inventories such as that published by the Justice, and represented as emanating from the *Chancellerie Imperiale,’ a department which, as M. Rouher explains never did exist, were enclosed in the letters, together with other missives, all, of course, spurious, but imposing in charac. ter. The individuals to whom these communications were addressed were politely requested to forward a few hundred franca to the unlucky prisoner, with a view to enable him to bribe the officials who kept watch and guard over his luggage. As soon as he was once more in possession of his plan the buried treasure would be exhumed, and the person in whose land it bad been deposited would naturally have his share. M., Rouher is of opinion that the Barcelona association must have made a good thing by its inventive faculties, as it has kept up the business for fully 12 years. The • windle has long been exposed, and M. Rouher adds that ho himself drew the attention of the Spanish Ambassador in j?aris to it some time ego.