BOGUS ARISTOCRAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13583, 12 September 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOGUS ARISTOCRAT.

KITCHEN PORTER ACCUSED OF MATRIMONIAL FRAUD.

Rejoicinc; once in a smart, military presences which, according to his own statement, made him a "general favourite with the ladies," Oscar Goldberger entered the dock at Brentford broken and unkempt, , with a straggling beard and an appearance of deep dejection. He was charged on remand with obtaining by fraud nearly £500 i'r-m Miss Marie Bodenstein, a German lady, belonging to Thuringen, and now resident in Stroud Green. Goldberger's age ( was given as 51 years, and he was described as a commercial agent, of Compton-strect, Gray's Inn Road. The accusation was that prisoner, by advertising in German papers for a wife for » Consul, a. nobleman with a fortune of £40,000, got into correspondence with the prosecutrix, and it was alleged that by various devices he obtained the money from her under promise of marriage. After the exchange of a mass of correspondence, in which finance was curiously interlarded with love and matrimony, the prisoner, alleging that he was a bank director, hotel manager, and financial agent., had obtained the money to invest for the prosecutrix, but when she came to London she found that the whole of her savings had vanished. It was stated that while claiming to be of aristocratic descent and high social position, lie was really employed as a kitchen porter. Harrv Gee, chief clerk at the Midland Hotel, now denied that in 1907 any application was received from the prisoner for tLj position of manager there. Prisoner had never been employed there. Informed that he would have to go to the sessions, the prisoner elected to give evidence, which he did in a voice broken by sobs. In reply to the suggestion of the prosecution that he had never been a manager, he produced an agreement in German with a facsimile in English, in which he, as Dr. Gulden, was appointed by Baron.de Bersaoldt, " manager of our farms and estates, »nd our live and dead stock in England, Ireland, and France, Dr. Gulden promising to act in our interests only when closing any business transactions." THE BABOX VANISHED. Under the agreement prisoner explained that he was to receive £10 per month, and 25 per cent, on all the business produced. He ac\cd on power of attorney, signed by the Baron and Baroness Estelle de Bersholdt. Some of the money he had from prosecutrix he handed to the baron, but he had no receipts. The baron disappeared. The witness added that he had no knowledge of the " Consul" advertisement. He got into touch with prosecutrix oy answering an advertisement himself in. the German papers. At that time he was in Brighton, and he received a reply from Dr. A. Meyer, to whom he sent ss, to become a member of the Duke Matrimonial Lodge. Later the doctor advised him to change h's name to Gulden, to ensure greater success. Witness objected, but Meyer told him it was allowed by law in England. When' Meyer left London witness was in sole charge or the league, and even up to the time that he removed to Brentford he gave to Mrs. Meyer all the money received on behalf of the "lodge. Witness had conducted the business honestly, and when he found it did not pay he gave it up. He added : " I only wish to state that my intentions with regard to Miss Bodenstein were distinctly honest, and I wanted to meet her at the" end of June or begin- ' ning of Julv to give her a full disclosure, and band over to her a £300 policy <-ft v T2* life as security to ease her mind Ho explained further thai liiere was no need for him to insure, fog life, as a single , man, unless li&Hntended to marry, and he handed in -tfee policy for £300 to" show his bona^^^ - by Mr. Cassels, witness "" ""ibid he came to England in 1903. What were you in Germany?— An agent. Why did you come to England?—l had a difference at home. I had domestic trouble and lost my head. Have you been married? Yes. Is vourwifo alive?—-I don't know. After I left Germany she divorced me, so some solicitors in Germany wrote and told me. They said that it was made absolute. A lady who had been sobbing in court rose at this point, and stated that she had p-vois of what Mr. Goldberger said at home. '. ■~ In reply to further question!!, witness ■aid he came first to the East End, and as he expected an increase in family he approached the German Consulate. Later he ■went as "plateman" in the scullery at the Grand Hotel at Brighton. He admitted that what he wrote to Miss Bodenstein as to his being manager of a bank and of a hotel was false. You wrote as Mr. Meyer, director of the Matrimonial' Agency, which was not true? I only copied his letters. You lived on the proceeds of the agency for some —Yes. Prisoner admitted writing the postcard as to the Midland Hotel, and that it was ■untrue. . How much money did you receive from Miss Bodenstein?— l cannot say. Was it 9500 marks (£497 10s)?—Possibly. When did you insure your life?ln May, 1908. v¥"hv?~-To give Miss Bodenstein a security. Have you any of the money obtained from Miss Bodenstein left?— No. Olga Lilienthal, of Compton -street. Soho, the prisoner's former housekeeper, said that » short time since he told her that he would have to go away. He also said he intended to get married and have an hotel, of which he said she was to be manageress. She promised to initiate his intended wife into English life. . The prisoner was then committed for trial.