BEAUTY DOCTORS' RINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13307, 13 October 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

BEAUTY DOCTORS' RINGS.

| MANICURIST AND AN ADVEN- : '■■■: . TURER. ; , ■-';■■■ . , ; | THE CREDULITY OF WOMEN. i Though he : describes himself as a " mind j reader," LudWig Kahn, 33, a good-looking man, was obviously painfully surprised when the Clerkenwel! Sessions judge sentenced him to fifteen months imprisonment for stealing two rings and a key chain, value £100, belonging to Mrs. Julie Clarke, a. fashionable manicurist of Bondstreet. "The prisoner," isaid a detective after the jury had found K«hn guilty, " has lived ;on the credulity.' of women. On several occasions - be' has obtained large sums of money. He was an associate of gambling men, and so far as I know he followed no regular, calling.. He appeared to get to know - something about' women which they would not like divulged, and played upon that, knowing they would not prosecute." " Blackmail'''' queried the judge.— Practically that," assented the detective. The story of Kahn's; acquaintance with Mr.. Clarke was a remarkable .one. The lady." said Mr. PiU'cell, for the prosecution, "traded as Mmc. de .Medici, manicurist and manufacturer of toilet, preparations, and prisoner was a mesmerist ami clairvoyant." ;On Sunday, Juno 3, Mrs. Clarke was at a party given in fa private icon by Mr.' Tagg at Hampton Court, -it the. course of the afternoon prisoner gave aw entertainment, and in that way Mrs. Clarke became acquainted with him. Hemissed" the coach, and Mrs. Clarke invited him to drive back to London in her victoria. . Kahn called on the lady manicurist several times afterwards at Lew Bondstreet. On June '25 he called as she was about to start business, and he noticed some very handsome rings she was wearing. He admired them, and pointed out that they were in need of cleaning, which would iiiraovE THEIR ab axce. Mrs. Clarke hesitated at first, and ultimately decided to drive with him to- a jeweller's in Poland-street, W. The rings one set with diamonds and the other with emeralds and diamonds—were; handed t} to the jeweller. Before they left Kahn, unheard by his companion, told the assistant that the lady was his wife. .Later prisoner called at the shop and obtained possession of the rings. He -then: disappeared,; and subsequently sent this note to Mrs. Clarke: "Dearest "Julia, —Enclosed find belongings, which will explain all to you. Jf possible to forgive, do so. i Please forgive inc. I will tell you nil about it when I write to you in a month from to-day. I shall go to the Continent. I was con..* polled to do what 1 did. ; I , promise . to send you all money got oh the rings, lour silver brushes are still at the shop. , They will give, them up •to you. _ Uou' t. think about .my treating you like this. , I know it is terrible, but'l was compelled to do so.—Your broken-hearted Ludwig." The " belongings" consisted of a pawnbroker's contract note enclosed in the letter, referring 'to the rings. Prisoner was arrested later. Mrs. Clarke, a tall, fashion-ably-dressed woman, who spoke .with a strong American accent, bore out counsel's statement." In cross-examination she said her husband was in America. She, had been in England four years. Mr. Ward (defending) : And have you been in this business of making people beautiful all that time?— For three years. Witness added that prisoner was nothing to her. She had been with him for refreshment to the Imperial, the Trocadero, and Hatchett's, and he had, of course,' paid. Perhaps he had stayed at her place until ten p.m. He told her that he came of a good family at Baden-Baden, and that he had "a big deal on." and expected a large sum of money. He was a mind reader. .He ; said he , had. performed before the King, and that His Majesty, had slapped him ,on -the , back. (Laughter.) Kahn swore that lie .had the authority of prosecutrix for pawniug the jewellery. He said he told the jeweller a lie when he said he had been married to prosecutrix for three weeks. He • .. told the LIE to PLEASE HER • in the morning, and • he . could not very well .. contradict it later in r; the day. (Laughter.) ; He" had not obtained ) £50 'by fraud or by representing * himself as a relative of Baron Rothschild. 'He had been found , guilty six years ago of obtaining a cheque for £60 from a lady to invest in shares, but the Court for Crown Cases Reserved- quashed the conviction. <• He had given racing tips to large numbers of ladies and gentleman, but lie did not- represent that -he was. able to " clairvoyant the horses" and. read' for certain whether they would win or lose. (Laughter.) Neither did lie say ■ that- Baron Rothschild, never made a bet without,, consulting ; witness. Nor did he, obtain a commission for introducing a big dinner-party that never came off, supposed to ,be for the Rothschild family. Kahn went on to declare that Mrs;, Clarke had told- lies out of spite, because she " knew there, was another girl in the case.'' Once prosecutrix and witness were sitting after, luncheon at the Savoy in the. hotel gardens.; Some people stared at them, and witness .- asked the reason. Prosecutrix replied., "They are friends of mine, and . they know I have a new young man," (Laughter.) He had. stayed at New Bond-street until midnight and after. The letter asking for . forgiveness referred to the fact that he was compelled by circumstances to be in the company, of another lady. .The juda;e remarked that prosecutrix had behaved foolishly in allowing .herself to become acquainted with prisoner. Immediately following the jury's verdict Mr. Ward jumped up and. said: "Prisoner is anxious that you should know he has performed before royalty and also Scotland Yard." (Loud laughter.)