A REMARKABLE FORGERY CASE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XI, Issue 875, 13 December 1876, Page 7

A REMARKABLE FORGERY CASE.

The Manchester Guardian of August 23 gives fie following; particulars of the great forgery cisc m Italy, mention of which was made m our telegrams some days aco :— On Wednesday morning, August 16, a telegram from Bologna tils ua, Giuseppe Mantes^za. sixth Marquis, of Lsga'e, who trace 3 hia descent from B >scliino Mantegagi\ Lord nf Satins Maudello, who m fie year 962 was made Lord of Maccacno by 'he Emi eror Otho I, was pi iced m the dock to stand his trial before the assizes of Bologna for foreery, fraud and falsification, fle is accused of having forged the namps of his Majpsty King Victor Emanm-1, his Royal Highness Prince Humbert of Savoy. ' her Britannic Majesty's Consul of Florence, and others, to a number of bills of exchange and documents drawn up for thepurpr.se of raising ir oney, of having by means of these bill< and documents defrauded various persons m a total sum of more than half a million francs, and of having counterfeited the official stamp of the British Consulate at Florence. The3i forgeries an 1 frauds wpre discovered m "Febni^ry last. The King has stated that the signatures are not his. The bankers defrauded plead that Mantegizza w.is honorably knownf m the financial world, and recognised as one or His Mijpstv's pr : vate ngpnta. The prisones oa Wednesday ncknowled -ed that nil the billt and documents mentioned are forgeries ; buf he absolutely denied having been the author oe them. He had. he said, been employed by th. King ard. the Prince m bond fide, transactionss and while carrying those into effpet he wa brought into connection with a person wh^se name he r tfnspd t,o reveal. Under that persoi's authority, whi.'h he believed to be sufficient, he acted 'n good faith, and " it was not until the thing had gone too far to permit, of his retreating 'hat he discovered the true state of the case." Daring the proceedings Miis supposed unknown and highly placed accomplice^ spoken of ns " X' The 7 7 i?Ke,i*'correspo.ndent, Summarising the case so tar as it has gone, says : — "Here, then, am two different acts of the drama of this trial. In the firßt it would 3epm that Mantegazza persisted m taking the guilt upon himaelf alone, m the hope that' X.' (if any snch person there be) would use sufficient influence to prevent his appearance m the dock. In the second act. findi"E himself brought to trial on no fewer than 27 different charges of forgery, 10 of fraud, and one of falsifying an official seal, he' has denounced X' m the strongest terms, while refusing to pro - nounce his piine. It remains to be seen if, at the conclusion of the third act. when all hope ras departed, he will lift the veil from 'X.,' and solve the mystery."