BOGUS COUNT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15234, 22 February 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOGUS COUNT.

.. ; /'KING OF '"SWINDLERS." f| ■' .'■ .;■ •' ■*■: ■■ . : ■■■'■■. - •■':'- : ' ;/ '..■ ■; ••'■■ . ""■'•: ■ ''"''■ A. EABrsiAV.'jewel]fr,-..rorfntlv : received . a *' letter purporting to come from two, .'; i, wealthy German merchants passing' > through Paris, who .were, cle-nhrr; of pus"--,' v chasing .six gold watches. The lei < rt--' - '■ quested that some watches should be sent '£$1 > to «- cafe in older to permit a selection -•> -~: he,made. The jeweller complied ■"d.^tin^ f an employe© with a box containing .20 : watches, valued -.at' £600. , , The ' 'pk#*||| y German merchants made their choice/; iiri&p* > then asked the employee to inquire -overall >': the telephone what would be the cost of ' J. engraving on the •watch-cases' a monogram.: .•• '■: ' and a. count's crown. '' The empjoyeij , vy.nt- f - to the' telephone, v but when be returned the " merchants " had vanished—-and"the ..■ '■ 20-watches with them. ''..-The thieves were 1 ' subsequently arrested. One proved to.:he '-'hp Paul Aubert, a dangerous criminal,: aged ;'s£ 59, who iis known in the - under-world 'as '""' ; "the Cigar Stub " aad the ';.\Vhite' e .'£ 'l King;" bis accomplice kno,o||pM'j , than the ''King of Swindlers," .Pish* V.'i [ Michel,.alias -'Count Robert '&?/&ffiH§S-, r alias" ''Prince• dev- Kersafit," : ;alias ; tM%> ; Captain." •■When the latter wa& arresttd . ; he at BrstrKanghtilv declared 'thji 'ssWmss ' Count -Robiirt do Crecy, and that: ..the//c£s <% '.' tectives were mistaken. He threat<hw [,fi ' to us© his influence to have them' 0.1*7. 1 missed for" then alleged blunder. ■; Bli'|»tsA"fel ' the police, station Rerre,;.'Mic'heljV who' jk^ft about 45 years of age, ultimately admitted V.;; ', -that he was .the long-sought '" King of .-,;.. r Swindlers?" 'He admitted that fine* -th* : ( age of- 20 ha has never " purchased any I clothing,, having always secured hw no*' . . „ ■ 'gftttnftnts • through) a' swindling ; trick. 3* ' confessed that 1 he has victimised hotai ' 'managers- ■" and boardinghouse - kce^S&T^ I throughout th© country to the extent «.\',i , £12,000 during his career ;of crime.' Iff ~ ' somo cases he attired himself in the *"*j> I form of ah, infantry captain, to tarry/out; m , his operations. ' Vv^'