£375,000 FRAUD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 83, 9 April 1910, Page 13

£375,000 FRAUD.

A remarkable case of forgery, of which Prince Miguel of Braganza, son of Dom Miguel, is tho victim, is occupying the attention of th* Berlin police (states a Reuter message). Some time ago, when his Royal Highnehs was living in a Berlin hotel, he was induced to give bills of a total value of £375,000 in return for a number of mining shares, including gold, silver, and emerald piopertiep, now alleged to be worthless. Ths bills vere endorsed by a man whose name is said to be Lackendteen, but wno gave himself out as Fred Vonderbilt, a member of the well-known American family. It is alleged that a London company which deals in mining shares induced the prince to participate in the new venture, and that the directors followed him to Vienna and Berlin. A sworn declaration was made that -Lacken.steen was Vanderbilt, and emeralds alleged to have come from the mine were given to the prince which have since been proved to be imitation*. On the circumstances coming to his knowledge, the prince's 'egal adyiccr refused to recognise the transaction, and demanded the return of the bills, while the Vanderbilt family repudiated the endorsement as a foigery, and sent a detective to London. A* a result the bills could not be f-old or discounted Ihero. Fruition* attempts were then made to get rid of them in Paris and Viennu. and finally bills to the \alue ol' £125.000 weie returned. The holders of the bills then decided to dispote of the remainder in Berlin, bnfc th« police were on the lookout. Bills to the value of ±525,000 were found in the pos*-e>«ion of local bill agents, # and it>- a rcs-ult of further police activity more bills to the valu« of £200,030 w<iie seized at a Berlin hotel, where, it v alleged, they wpvp found in th« possession of a dncetor of the London comE a SX referred io t ' ,