Oscar Merril Hartzell (January 6, 1876 – August 27, 1943) was an American farmer, realtor, deputy sheriff, politician, and promoter. He became well-known as a con man who ran a confidence scam by claiming rightful ownership of the estate of Francis Drake.
Early life
Oscar Merril Hartzell was born in Monmouth, Illinois, on January 6, 1876, as the eldest child to John Henry Hartzell and his wife, Emma Louisa (née Shaw). He had three siblings: Clinton Sylvester Hartzell, Canfield C Hartzell and Pearl May Palmer (née Hartzell).
Hartzell was a high school drop out.
Sir Francis Drake estate scam
According to Hartzell, in 1915, he met con artists Oseida "Sudie" Whiteaker and Milo Lewis, who promised to turn his mother's $6,000 into $6M by giving him a share of the held fortune of the English explorer and privateer Francis Drake. When he realized the deal was a confidence game, he decided to use it to his own advantage, and joined in.
Since Hartzell had not broken any British laws the British police could not arrest him. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated and announced that Drake's wife, Elizabeth (née Sydenham; 1562–1598), had duly inherited her husband's estate in 1597, the year after Drake's death. That information did not stop the donations. When Ed Smith, Iowa Secretary of State, tried to convince the state legislature to act, the public and Hartzell's supporters protested, saying they could donate to whomever they wanted so the legislature did nothing.
Hartzell was tried in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1933. His followers sent him a total of $68,000 for his defence. He was convicted of fraud in November 1934, sentenced to ten years in prison, and fined $2,000. By that time, he had run his scam for over 15 years. After losing an appeal in 1935, he was sent to Federal Correctional Institution, Leavenworth in Kansas. Even after his sentencing, some of his agents collected more donations—$500,000 for the next year.
Hartzell was eventually judged to be insane, being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He was transferred to Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, a male federal prison in Springfield, Missouri.
Personal life
Hartzell married Daisey F Rees in Warren, Illinois, on November 20, 1895. During his time in London, he took a mistress, who was 16 years his senior. He had three children. He was interred at Monmouth Cemetery in Monmouth, Illinois.