Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1864-05-11

per made some ten or twelve years ago,
Of most shameful fraud pract;eed upon
! goyornesses, by which they were induced
to deposit a sum equivalent to their trav-
cling expenses from England to some
town on the Continent, as a guarantee to
the employer, they will have discovered
the gentleman with two sons to be odu-
cated-the traveller in Syria, the friend
Of Sir Hugh ROssj the Anglo-Indian who
expects $500 in two months, but has a
present and pressing necessity for forty.
The governess fraud was ingehious. 1t
was done in this way: An advertisement
appeared in the Times, setting ferth that
an English gentleman, travelling with his
family abroad, desired governess-the
conditions liberal, the requirements of a
high order. The family in question, who
mixed with the very best society on the
Continent, required that the governess
should be lady of accomplished man
ners, and one in every respect qualified
for that world of fashion to which she
would be introduced as member of the
advertisers family. Theadvertiser, how
ever, found that all the English ladies
who had hitherto filled this situation in
his family had, through the facilities thus
presented them of entrance into life, made
very advantageous marriages; and to
protect himself against the loss entailed
by the frequent call on him for travelling
e1penses-bringing out new candidates
for tie hands of princes and grand dukes
he proposed that the accepted govern
ess should deposit with him sum-say
fifty pounds-equivaIent to the charge Of
the Journeys and which, if she married,
should be confscated to the benefit of
her employer.
The scheme was very ingenious; it was
in fact a lottery in which you only paid
for your ticket when you had drawn a
prize, Till the lucky number turned up,
you never parted with your money. Was
ever any such bribe held forth to a gen
Grafton of unmarried and marriageable
women? There was everything that could
captivate the mind: the tour on the Con-
tinent-the family who loved society and
shared It SO generously-the father so
parental in his Kindness, and who evi-
IDENTIFY gave the goyerness the benedic-
ton of parent on the day she may have
married the count; and all secured for
what-for fifty poundS7 No; but for the
deposit, the mere storing up of fifty
pounds in strong box; for if, after two
years, the lady neither married nor wish
ed to remain, she could claim her money
and 60 her way.
The success was immense; and as the
advertiser wrote replies from different
towns to different individuals, governess
es arrived at Brussels, at Coblentz, at
Frankfort, at Mayence, at Munich, at
Nice-and heaven knows where besides
whose deposits were lodged in the hands
of N. F. That ingenius gentleman stra-
lightwaY departed, and was no more seen,
and only heard of when the distress and
misery of these unhappy ladies had found
their way to the public press. The Times,
with all that ability and energy it knows
how to employ, took the matter up, pub
lished some of the statements-very pain
full and pathetic, they were-of the un-
fortunate victims of the fraud, and gave
more than one leader to its exposure.
Nor was the Government wanting in pro-
per activity. Orders were sent out from
the Foreign Office to the different lega-
tons and consulates abroad, to warn the
police in the several districts against the
Vaccinations of this artful scoundrel,
should he chance to be in their neighbor-
hood Even more distinct instructions
were sent out to certain legations, by
which R. N. T. could be arrested on
charges that would at least secure his
detention till the law officers had declar.
ed what steps could be taken in his be,
half. 1t was not the age of photography
but a very accurate description of the
mans appearance and address was fur
nished, and his lofty stature, broad chest
burly look, and bushy whiskers-a shade
between red and auburn-Were all duly
posted in each Chancellerie of the Con
tinent.
X X X
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