A MODERN ADVENTURER.

Evening Star, Issue 12764, 17 March 1906, Page 8

A MODERN ADVENTURER.

■■ o» A man of many wives, and one of the ablest of modern adventurers and knights of industry, is (says the Paris correspondent of the London 'Telegraph.') the self-styled Vicomio Auzeral Do Lespaxre, who has been tried in the As-iae Court of tha Ariege, Paris. He is charged with having swindled, private persons and public companies in Paris, Toulouse, Lille, and Calais, and lie is also wanted in towns in Belgium. The so-called viscount is said to be the son of a small farmer in the department of the new President of the Republic, the Lot-et-Garonne. He received some education, and went to South America. At Monte Video he ia reported to have passed himself off as a retired French' naval officer, who had served under Admiral Courbet in China. He married a South, American woman of French orgin, and disappeared with her dowry. While still in Fiance, after discharge from the army as an invalid, the adventurer married a younir woman of Marmande, by whom he bis children. His next wife was a woman who had a large bakery at. Ofan, and whom ho had to desert, as he met a man there who knew that he was married in France.. At Brussels the adventurer had another wife, and in Barcelona he was on the point of manrying a rich woman separated from her husband, when she died, having prevously left hira 6ome of hor money by will. After tins the man committed an action which forms & charge against him, in addition to those of having obtained monev under false pretences from French persons and companies. He assumed the name and civil, status of a country gentleman of Agen, who died at Arcachon in 1839.. In this name the adventurer married the daughter of a retired magistrate at Bordeaux. The knight of industry w for the present to be dealt with y j , An ego Assiae Court, but be is wanted by the police in many places to answer multifarious crimes. When arrested at Valencia (Spain) he was beginning to do JHcratwe business as an insurance agent-, and was lookng jjound for another wife.