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Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 21, 1 May 1894, Page 4

There are two New Zealanders—one in the North Island and the other in the South Island —who pride themselves upon their personal resemblance to the Prince of Wales, though what there is to be specially proud of in a resemblance to a stout, bald, more than middle aged gentleman we fail to see. We are reminded of this, however, by a story we read of a Danish banker whose death has just occurred at Copenhagen under very peculiar curcumstances. A London paper says:—“ Up to the last summer the banker was known to Society and the financial world as a serious, intelligent man. One fine day he was told that he bore a striking resemblance to the Czar Alexander 111. He laughed very much at first at this, but at last he began to think so himself, after the serious affirmation of several persons who knew the Emperor very well, and he could no longer doubt the fact, as his features really strongly resembled that monarch’s. His manners seemed to change completely, he had his beard cut the same shape as the Czar’s, he adopted the same pensive way of holding his head, and other attributes. When the Czar went to Copenhagen, Corlsben tried his utmost to be presented to him, and Alexander 111. himself was much astonished with the perfect likeness he had with the Danish banker. This Imperial affirmation crowned him with happiness, and from that day his reason seemed to give way. He drove about Copenhagen in a carriage and four. Often the passers-by took him for the Czar, and bowed to him. He, delighted, returned the saiuation right and left, and threw the people handfuls of money. Alas 1 renown brings care. As he had taken upon himself, so to say, another person’s skin, he was cruelly afflicted, he imagined the Nihilists wished to kill him, and he became perfectly mad. He was taken to a mad. asylum, where, however, he soon gave up the ghost.