BOUGEMONT'S TALES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 227, 26 September 1898, Page 5

BOUGEMONT'S TALES.

ANOTHER STORY OF IDEiNTITY.

ROUGEMONT OR GREIN?

MRS GREIN IDENTIFIES HER

HUSBAND.

A MAN OF MANY PARTS.

(From the Sydney 'Daily Telegraph.)

If a wife's identification of her husband by means of a photograph can be accepted as indisputable evidence, there seems no longer any room for doubt that M. de Rougemont, whose sensational experiences in Australia have caused so much excitement in England, is a Sydney man; that his name is Henri Louis Grein; that his wife and family actually reside in a Sydney suburb; and that he has simply adopted 'Louis de Rougemont' as his pen name. The interest occasioned by the articles published under Louis de Rougemont's name in the 'Wide World Magazine' has rapidly extended to Australia. Telegrams from all the colonies bear testimony on that point. In Sydney copies of the magazine have' been eagerly bought up since particulars were first g^ven in 'The Daily Telegraph.' The reproduction of M. de Rougemont's portrait brought dozens of gentlemen to the office of 'The Daily Telegraph' anxious to certify as to the writer's identity, and positively asserting that they had known him intimately in Sydney, though in most cases undeiwidely different circumstances, but always by the name of Grein. A representative of 'The Daily Telegraph' found Mrs Louis Grein, and one glance at the portrait produced convinced her that 'Louis de Rougemont' was her husband, from whom she has been separated for a year or two.

There could be no doubt, said Mrs Grein, that the portrait was that of her husband. Moreover, she had news that he was at the other side of the

world, having last been heard of through his brother, a clergyman in Switzerland, who had written telling her that he had been informed of her separation from her husband, who had just been on a visit to him, at a place called Yverdon, and inquiring kindly as to the children. Nothing, however, was mentioned of Grein having been in London, or of his intending to go there, though the letter was dated July sth of this year. Mrs Grein scouted the sugg'egstion that the portrait might be that of someone very like her husband —a twin brother, for instance. She also gave a valid explanation of the assumption by Grein of the pen name of Kougemont. There were four children by the marriage. The eldest boy (De Courcey Grein) died about two or three years ago. The second son is named 'Cecil de Rougemont Grein,' after an old friend or distant relative of his father's. This fact would seem to establish the identity beyond doubt. Strangely enough, Mrs Grein was not surprised to learn, as she had through 'The Daily Telegraph,' that her husband had achieved notoriety. She was not able to say of her own knowledge that her husband had actually experienced all he claimed to have done in his story, but she knew that he had travelled a great deal. When she first met him in Sydney he was engaged in the pearl fishing industry, and owned a small vessel. He was fond of telling the children of his adventures, and she particularly remembers his stories about riding the turtles, and experiences' among the blacks. On his body were marks, which he told her were inflicted by the spears of the blacks in the far north of Australia. Beyond his own statements, however, she has no direct knowledge of her husband's history previous to their marriage. They were married in 1883 by the Rev. Robert Colley, of Newtown. Grein was 47 years of age at the time. He would now, at that rate be 62. Mrs Grein, on her side, is well connected. Her father held a prominent public position in Queensland. A sister is married and living near Sydney. As stated last week, Mrs Grein has not seen her husband since he left her for New Zea land in May of last year, and then she only saw him in the street. As to themany stories told by gentlemen in Sydney who called at 'The Daily Telegraph' to explain their connection with Grein, they at least prove him to have been a man of many parts. He was associated with a new patentdeep sea diving dress, and was present at a trial down the harbour when an unfortunate diver died. He was interested in a patent garbage exterminator. He canvassed for orders for photographic enlargements, and is spoken of as himself being an artist above the average ability. Many amusing incidents are told of him in this connection. Another gentleman, who follows the profession of an assayer showed our representative a number of entries in his books, the earliest dating 10 years' back, when he had assayed valuable samples for Grein. He .remembers him well, as also the stories which he used to tell of hairbreadth encounters with the blacks 'up North,' and of his alleged discovery of a mountain of gold in thei nterior. Grein had a penchant for forming minino- syndicates, but they usually fell thrugh before the hidden treasure goe unearthed. In one case mentioned, the members of a syndicate sent Grein to report on 'a rich find,' which he. had induced them to agree to work in North Queensland. Like the doves from the Ark, however, Grein did not return. Another man was sent in quest of Grein, and he, in turn, had to be inquired for. In the end, the syndicate lost money. The testimony is unanimous that Grein showed himself while in Sydney to be a clever, not to say adventurous, man.