ACOUNTESS WHO STOLE FOR LOVE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18938, 7 December 1929, Page 19 (Supplement)

ACOUNTESS WHO STOLE FOR LOVE.

(Written for the “ Star ” by Emery Deri). Ehe Tragic Romance of a Penniless Countess and Her Unsuspecting Spendthrift Lover, Which has recently Astounded Elite Society in Berlin.

* I 'HE law did not punish the J- beautiful Countess Helga Monroy for her crime, and the throng of curious that crowded the Berlin court room to be thrilled by the recent trial of her case was more than a little disappointed by its unexpected outcome. In fact, the trial was mere formality. The Countess Hermesberger, who had accused Helga of having robbed her safe, told the Court that in view of the defendant’s motives she was willing to drop the charge; the counsel for the defence moved that the case be dismissed and the Court ordered the immediate release of the prisoner; Countess von Monroy was free. This brief trial, however, was not the final act m the strange society drama of the German capital, and Helga von Monroy had yet to face another t-ial, less merciful and forbearing than the court justice had been to her. Shortly after she left the court room she learned that her fiance, for whose love she became a thief, had committed suicide. It was the cruel revenge of fate and the tragic climax of her romance of love and crime. Countess Helga von Monroy belong* to one of those titled German families who lost their fortunes in the war. Fifteen years ago her father wa? wealthy, had a large estate ir. Prussia, and played rather a prominent role in the life of the Prussian capital, despite the fact that he had married a woman of no social standing. The mother of Helga von Monroy was an equestrienne, the star performer of a circus, which toured the Continent, whe and her sister, a rope walker, were the chief attractions of the circus. Both were beautiful, and it was no wonder that every night an army of admirers applauded their daring feats. Suitors surrounded the two sisters, and finally both married far above their social status. The equestrienne became the wife of Count Monroy. The rope walker mar ried Count Hermesberger. For a time neither of them was received in exclusive German society, but eventually their tact, charm and beauty broke down the barriers of prejudice, and they became full-fledged members of the inner circle of the elect. Shortly before the outbreak of the war they were received at the Imperial court of William 11. The fortunes of the two sisters, which ran parallel up to about ten years ago diverged after the war. Count Monroy died, leaving his family almost penniless: while Count Hermesberger succeeded in conserving his property and, upon his death, left a fortune to his widow. Counters Hermesberger had no children, and she gave everv 1 i n d of assistance to Count*: Ilelga and her mother. She paid their rents, gave a monthly allowance to her sister and was liberal in gifts to her niece. Helga worked for a time as a typist, and was able to support herself. The complications in the life of Countess Helga began about a year ago, when she made the acquaintance f a young army lieutenant named Otto von Wedel. He, also, was of an old family, left penniless by the war, and he was forced to make his way in life without family assistance. He was a handsome, well educated young man—just the

for L ess i lel ff- had always sought “ , n a H bu ? band - " edel, on his part, found Helga charming, and before lorn? their acquaintance developed into mutual love One day Wedel .roposed to Helga telling her frankly that he was poor and for a few years it would be necessary for them to depend on the dowry of Countess Helga. t? elg l b f ei l coura Seous enough to tell him she had no dowry, that she was as poor as he, her name would ' Ve been - dra sged before the public in connection with the most sensational society scandal of recent years. frank Sh %h ad not he firmness to be frank. She was afraid of losing the toh? b- he OVed T and so she Hed She b ' m everything would be all right, and the only thing she had to do was to talk over practical matters wi-h her mother and her aunt, and to break i do *n their possible opposition 1 J opposition of Aunt Hermesber fasilv wif r ' was , not to be broken so h?nt ?i hen Helfa maf le a cautious hint at the possibility of her marriage to young Wedel, the aunt positively reused to consider the nonsense of her m frrymg a poor man. . kn °r W * U ” she said * “that you haven t a pfennig. You must marry a y ?- U don>t . you cannot count on me. No beggar is going to bVe uxa T °n my money. Forget this silly affair with Wedel," But Helga could not forget. She met \\ edel secretly almost every day and tound that she loved him too much to give him up. Thus she kept on deceiving him about her supposed dowry and young Wedel had no misgivings'. He believed her so implicitly as to till her about his own financial difficulties, tes, he had debts, serious debts amounting to several thousands of ma a ks 'r, And these debts harl to be paid. He could not see any other way out of the mess than to pay or to comhim SUlClde ' Helga promised to help A few days later Helga gave 20,000 marks to Lieutenant Wedel. The same , e Countess Hermesberger employed one of the ablest detectives in Berlin to find out how a number of negotiable securities could have disappeared from her safe, the combination of which was known to no one but herself. The detective started a secret investigation. There were only four persons living in the house of the countess herself, Countess Helga (who for the time being was staying with her aunt) a maid and a cook. Two weeks later the detective told Countess Hermesberger they suspected someone, but had no proofs. For three months Countess Hermesberger kept her counsel and nothing unusual transpired in her house. Finah ly, the day after Ilelga had ended her stay, she found that her jewels had disappeared. She telephoned to the detective, who obtained a detailed description of the jewels, and said that probably he soon w-uld be able to make an arrest. The detective questioned a number of Berlin jewellers. One of Th™ showed a diamond bracelet he had bought the day before. A very well dressed and pretty young woman had sold it, he said. The detective recognised the bracelet as having been among the stolen jewels of Countess Hermesberger. Now there could no longer be doubt as to the identity of the thief. Still, the detective took no chances, but shadowed his suspect. She was the Countess Helga von Monroy.

It soon appeared that Helga was having secret meetings with Lieutenant Wedel. Yet this in itself was no proof of her guilt, and did not establish a possible motive for the theft. Thj detective also learned that Ilelga bought nothing for herself, and she could not have spent the money she received from the jeweller who bought the bracelet, and possibly from other jewellers. Besides, she did not know the combination of Countess Hermesberger’s safe. But in case she was the thief, the detective decided, the only other person who had anything to do with the affair must be the lieutenant. Thereupon the detective investigated the personal affairs of Lieutenant Wedel. lie found that the young man had debts, and lived above his means. He had made payments on his debts within two days. Several months previously he had made payments to two of his creditors. That was only fortyeight hours after the first robbery in the apartment of Countess Hermesberger. Nothing remained, then, but to arrest Helga. She broke down and confessed she had robbed the safe and given the money realised to her fiance. She knew the combination, because she saw her aunt open the safe several times and observed closely. She did not want to steal, she said. She had not spent a pfennig on herself. All the money went to Lieutenant Wedel. She did not want him to know she was a poor girl, and she tried to help him, even at the cost of committing a disgraceful crime. Lieutenant Wedel, when questioned by the police, could only say that he had accepted the money from Helga in good faith. They released him Two hours later his butler found him shot dead, his service revolver lying beside him. He left a note on the table, saying: “I did not commit any crime, and yet I am dishonoured.” (Anglo-American N.S. Copyright.)