HOAXING A NATION
Posing as a Prince
Once “King of Albania,” now a man without home or means, Otto Witte, a shabbily-dressed man of 60, was lately arrested iu Berlin on a charge of swindling. His adventure reads like a fairy tale. Born the son of a Punch-and-Judy showman, Witte was travelling in the Balkans in 1913, just at the time when the newly-created State of Albania was looking for n king. Ho heard that a Turkish prince had been invited to Albania to submit his candidature to the throne in person. Witte immediately bought a gorgeous uniform, telegraphed his arrival at Durnzzo in the name of the prince, and was given an enthusiastic reception by the prince’s supporters. The festivities in honour of the “King” were still in progress, when another telegram arrived, this time from the genuine prince. Witte promptly denounced the newcomer as an Imposter, and the prince only just escaped being temporarily thrown into prison. The prince was detained at the Prefecture while inquiries were made. Meanwhile, Witte had gained sufficient time to enable him to steal secretly out of the country.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 31, 31 October 1932, Page 2
Word Count
186HOAXING A NATION Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 31, 31 October 1932, Page 2
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