FRAUD ON A PRINCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 77, 2 April 1910, Page 9

FRAUD ON A PRINCE.

BILLS FOR £375,000 GIVEN FOR WORTHLESS SHARES. An astounding cui-e of bill forgery, of which Prince Miguel of Braganza, sou of Doni Miguel, is the victim, recently occupied the attention of the Berlin police. Some time ago, when the prince was , living in a Berlin hotel, he was induced fco give bills of a total value of £375,000 in return for a number of mining shares, including gold, silver, and emerald properties, now alleged to be worthless. The bills were endorsed by a man whose name is said to be Lackensteen, but who gave himself out as FTed Vanderbilt, a member of the well-known American family. J^'s alleged that a London company which deals in mining oliarcs induced the prince to participate in the now venture, and that the directors followed him to Vienna and Berlin. A sworn declaration was made that Lackensteen was Vanderbilt, and emeralds alleged to have come, fiom the mine were given to the piince, which have since been proved ■to bo imitations. On the circumstances coming to his knowledge the prince's legal adviser refused to recognise tha transaction, and demanded the return of tho bills while the Vanderbili family repudiated the endorsement as a foTgery, and Rent a detective to London. As a result, tho bills could not be sold or discounted there. Fruitless attempts were then made to get rid of them in PariH and Vienna, and finally bilfc to the value of £125,000 were returned. The holders of the bille then decided to dixpose of the remainder in Berlin, but the police- were on the look out. Bills to tho value of £25,000 were found in the possession of local bill agents, and as a reHult of further police activity more bills to the value of £200.000 were seized at a Berlin hotel, where, it is alleged, they were found in the possession of the director of the London company referred to.