Fraud Letters Flood State

Postal Inspector Warns People To Beware of Hoary-Whiskered Spanish Appeals

The attention of M.C. Fosnes, post-office inspector, has been called to an influx of fraud letters from Spain to persons in the Twin Cities and he believes that whoever is operating the hoax is receiving some returns from this territory and warns the public not to "bite" at the alluring bait. The letters have been many and the Spanish person is apparently untiring in his efforts in Minnesota. Many of the letters have been sent to the inspector. The following is a sample of the letters received by Victor Segerstom, of the Segerstrom Piano company, and Harry Olstein, 205½ Washington avenue north: Madrid 20-1-10. Dear Sir – Although I know you only from good references of your honesty, my sad situation compels me to reveal you an important affair in which you can procure a modest fortune saving at the same time that of my darling daughter. Before being imprisoned here, I was established as a banker in Russia as you will see by the enclosed article about me of many English newspapers which have published my arrest in London. I beseech you to help me to obtain a sum of 480,000 dollars I have in America and to come here to raise the seizure of my baggage paying to the registrar of the court, the expenses of my trial and recover my portmanteau containing a secret pocket where I have hidden the document indispensable to recover said sum.
As a reward I will give up to you the third part, viz., 160,000 dollars. I cannot receive your answer in the prison, but you must send a cablegram to a person of my confidence who will deliver it to me. Awaiting your cable to instruct you in all my secret, I am sir, A. DEMIDOFF. Mr. Fosnes, in warning the public, says: "Instead of the writer being a wealthy party in temporary distress, he is a miserable Spanish scoundrel who very likely has been in jail many times. There may be a number of scoundrels working the same line of graft. Every dollar sent to Spain or sent for cablegrams is a tribute to rascality. Better throw the money into the Mississippi river."

February 1912: Sorting the mail at the Minneapolis post office at Third and Marquette. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)