A NEPHEW OF VON BULOW.

Grey River Argus, 24 August 1928, Page 1 (Supplement)

A NEPHEW OF VON BULOW.

GOES TO GAOL. FRAUD CHARGES. Joachim von Reichel, a nephew of Prince von Bulow former German Imperial Chancellor, was found guilty of 10 charges of fraud and sentence.! to two years’ imprisonment at Berlin. The court physician stated his belief that the accused was a “pathological liar,-’’ but ho believed that he was responsible for his acts. Advocates of the proposed new penal code giving judges a wider latitude in dealing with cases brought before them and including the abolition of maximum and minimum sentences watched the trial of Reichel with the greatest interest. He is 36 years old and was born an aristocrat. He served as a messenger to the Courts of Vienna and Bucharest and to Constantinople during life war end was entrusted with important State missions and negotiations. After a career in the Prussian Guards he made a name for himself as a composer of music., writer and director of opera. Reichel had previously been convicted eight times for fraud, mostly for passing worthless cheques. In the present trial he was confronted with 25 charges for the same offence. In addition, he is wanted at Constantinople, Naples and Monaco, at the bit ter town for swindling women out of valuable jewellery. Several prominent jurists were firmly convinced that a man “born with a silver spoon in his mouth’’ was not responsible for his actions, and that his repeated crimes were chargeable to the indulgence of his grand father with whom he lived during his teens. In fact, the villagers among whom he lived regarded him as a semiged and humoured his every whim. It was also argued that the grandfather, who was a general, made a big mistake by forcing his grandson into the Army, when this form of life was revolting to his nature. The grandfather paid Reichel’s excessive debts to keep disgrace out of the family while he was serving his country.! Reichel on the stand admitted tin charges against him and asked only' for a chance to explain the reasons for his actions. The judges seemed more interested in learning what crowned heads he in learning with what crowned heads he had social intercourse than the de-, tails of the charges. The accused was called to order for referring to various foreign decorations awarded to him as “breakfast medals.’’