NOBLEMAN SHOOTS HIMSELF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15504, 10 January 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

NOBLEMAN SHOOTS HIMSELF

INCURABLE MANIA FOR CARDS.

STORIES AT TRIAL OF COUNTESS.

Berlin is' getting its fill of sensations from the trial of Countess Elizabeth Ftschler von Treuherg on charges of fraud, illegal usury, blackmail, and slander. The countess is the daughter of a German tailor-

Many prominent persons are concerned in the trial, including Princess Louise of Belgium and Princess Alexandra of Isen-burg-Budingen, while the Crown Prince's name has been mentioned during the proceedings, when they were occupied with the case of a young nobleman named von Alten, who was alleged to have been brought to such a pitch of despair by usury that he shot himself. This young man was said to have twice had his debts paid off by his father, once for £50.000 and the second time for naif that amount, but he was again in difficulties at the time of his death.

The chief witness was a moneylender named Pariser, and under examination by the Public Prosecutor he got rather angry. When it was suggested that he had obtained exorbitant interest on a loan of £2000 he answered warmly that rather than profiting by the affair 'he had really lost, as he had not known'that von Alten had abandoned his claim to his heritage. Pariser continued with emphasis that the allegation that von Alten s suicide was due to usury was quite wrong, the real reason of the suicide being the danger of a prosecution on account of Paragraph 175 of the Prussian Code. The prosecutor, quite excitedly, asked how he could know that. Pariser said: " Herr Prosecutor, it's in the dossier. Herr Prosecutor, you seem insufficiently informed." Further passages of arms followed before the prosecutor developed a series of questions with a view to learning what induced Pariser to advance von Alten the money. The prosecutor finally asked: Wasn't it because von Alten was the Crown Prince's fellow-student ? " Here the defending counsel interposed. No Dealings With Women. A number of high-sounding names were read out from a register seized at the countess's flat, but the countess said that she had not had anything to do with money affairs, though she remembered that she had once given 20s to Count j Mettermch, whose name was among those I cited.

It was suggested that the countess had been associated in the von Alten affair with Pariser, but Pariser stated emphatically that he had never had any dealings with the countess. Moreover, he had never, he said, had any business dealings with women, as they always turned out badly. The sitting concluded with the evidence of two young noblemen, Emmo von Bennicsen and Count Dohna Schlobitten. The first, who is a landed proprietor, could not enlighten the court much concerning Pariser's loan to von Alten on a promissory note, which he himself had countersigned. Schlobitten's debts were given as some £20,000- The prosecution alleged that the countess was a party to persuading Schlobitten to launch out in dangerous speculations in return for her arranging a loan of £2000- Schlobitten purchased a castle in Bohemia which lie was afterwards compelled to sell at a great loss. The whole affair was very intricate, the value of the castle being much disputed, and it was not very clear what connection the countess was supposed to have had with the deal.

Ex-Lieutenant von Stochow, a friend of von Alten, gave evidence. He had hitherto ignored the most pressing appeals to cive evidence, and was to have beer brought by force, but he came of his own free will, apparently in order to refute the evidence of Pariser.

His version of the money-lending transaction was that von Alten asked where he might borrow £13,500. He mentioned the Countess von Trueberg, whom the.two visited together. Hero they met two moneylenders, Pariser and Domarus. Parker offered to lend £12,000, and asked for von Stechow's signature. Later a further demand was made for signatures. Accordingly it was proposed that Bcnnigsen. who as an officer of the Bonn Hussars knew von Alten when he was a Bonn student, should be one. Pariser, who was still unsatisfied, asked questions about the wealth of Fran Benniesen. Finally, von Alten received the monev, and immediately took the train to Baden races. The money was wanted to pay off card debts. Sale to a Princess. " These were debts of honour," said von Stechow. "My friend, with his slrict interpretation of questions of honour, took them most seriously. The last I learned of him was from a letter forwarded from Us moLber." From the letter he read the following : " I can't and won't go on. I hope that papa will pay. so that there will be no claim against vou."

Some remarkable evidence was given later by Court Councillor Kayser. who described the ways and doing of von Alten. He was an inveterate gambler. In order to- keep him solvent it would have been necessary to have half a dozen millionaires in the family. It was impossible to hold him back. He simply thirsted for the. card tables. Once he lost £1300 in a single night to one player. Happily his friends intervened in that case., and the debt was cancelled in return for £100 in cash.

Then came a lengthy statement by the judge as to the charge against the countess of being connected with fraudulent transactions in regard to Princess Louke of Belgium. The jndge explained that the Princess, in the winter of 1908. while staving in Berlin, was so badlv off that the hotel where she was staying exacted payment of her bill daily previous to serving her with luncheon. Consequently she had frequent transactions with moneylenders.

Finally, it is alleged, the Princess was persuaded, parilv through the. agency of the countess, to buy a quantity of books for £10000. the real value being £600. In the end the Princess received neither books nor money.