The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-05
A COUNT IN FIFTH AVENUE.

Dotngs IT the Everete house ana Fifth
Avenue Hotel-Intrigues. Confidence
Operations and Othor Frauds-He Ii a
Dessrter from tho United States Army,
and IL Arrested and Locked Up-Over
Two Hundred Letters and Photographs
Found HIS Person, Sc.
One OF the most extraordinary confidence operators
according 10 the evidence thus far developed that
visited this city arrested at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel yesterday by detectives Coyle and Bennett The
history of this prctendcr to baronal hono in foreign
land is full Of significance to the giddy headed young
girls and pate5dmiliGs into whose confidence he had
managed to ingratate himself for the purpose as is
alleged Of abusing that confidence at last IL hts personal
aggrandizment required it. The real name OF this per-
son Francis stabenow alias Adolf Danforh, alias +.
r. Manson, alias Herr Arnold, alias Adolf Graf
Donna-Schloden Vhe Count Dohna)-names and titles
enough to have ruined much smarter than Stabe
now. and which have finally brought him to grief.
stabenow arrived In New York on the 18th OF June
1904, by the Inman steamer City OF London and pro-
'ceeded at once to Boston. There he put up at an
expensive hotel, representing himself Count
Donna Premier Lieutenant Corps do Garde Curassers Of
Berlin, Prussia The assigned for his coming to
this country that brother officer Of the Garde had
sndeavorea TO ALLEVIATE from him the affections Of his
berothed which far incensed him that he challenged
his rival and killed him in the fight. For this he
compelled to leave home for short time unt the affair
could be satisfactorily adjusted The credulous people
OF the tr mountain city swallowed the story and kindly
advanced moneys to Stabcnow in expectation Of tho
princely remittances which to hand Hotel
proprieors Livery stable keepers tailors and tradesmen
generally lost patience at last and, borrowing hay u1
''eassd to Be virtue 'ss sayessus;s sl! !ns city and
starfed fs IL Lous There no pursued similar course
a sifc, making friends before and winning the aec
fons and the favors Of of the respectable
in Jnui
short and he suddenly conceived the idea OF entering
rAe Union army To this end he pawned his clothes in
81 Louis and managed to borrow ono hundred
~doIlins in addition and came to this city,
where he took apartments at the Everett House.
he had letters of introduction from parties in
st Louis endorsing him in unmeasurcd terms, and
through these letters he made the acquaintance Of
raj highly respectable families living at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel From these he contrved to borrow small sums
stating that his remttances which usually through
the house of Duncan Sherman g. Co., who he alleged
his bankers, were due but would certainly
rive very Upon the sums of money borrowed in
this way, and which ranged from ten dollars TO three
thousand dollars he lived in style of great elegance
His lunches and Cquo wine ut tho Everett House
pronounced superb, and the gentlemen Who attended
these reunions thought he must be prince nasmuch
he lived in a prncely style The reason given by him
for wishing 10 cntor the Union army was that he
afraid the Prussian government would demand his extra
don to for the crime Of staying his fellow officer
and he thought they could not recall him II he
officer in tic regular army Of the United States. He
sion, to enlist in the service which he did and at
tached corporal, and subsequently promoted a
fantry.
SHORTLY after this he obtained leave of absence and
again appeared at the Everett House and Firth Avenue
Hotel in the garb Of civilian. His bounty
out, and he was compelled again to borrow Hts story
now was that ha had been in the recruiting service was
could raise few thousand dollars he would be ruined
No one seemed disposed to aid him, and becoming des
perac lie approached OF the ladies' whose acquain
lac had madc at the hotel, and from whom he had
received trihng invitation notes, and threatened them
with exposure they did not go to their dear paras
procure
To some OF these parties he exhibited letters which he
charged them with having written and which he told
them would shcw criminal intimacy to have existed be-
tween himself and them; but these ladies' never
any such letters they must have been forgeries
other accomplishments has that OF being OF the most
Skull o. penmen possessing me power Of initiating
threats showed his character in its true light
Information regarding him was lodged with Chief
jain s. Young, of the detective force, who
placed detectives Coyle and Bennett on his track.
These officers ascertaned that Stabenov had obtained
Examining Board at Annapolis regarding has qualiGca-
tons for commission. He was pronounced incompe.
ing his command however, no reappcared at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. This made him dcserter, and as such
he was placed under arrest He was taken TO tho Cen
trail Office and searched. Several packages amounting
in all to about two hundred letters, found his
friends BOSTON, St ous and New York and sI the little
notes that accompanied them, some OF which were
wordcd in the most cndcaring language. For obvious
the names Of the authors OF these notes
omitted These letters he had regarded choice that he
trusted them to his luggage but always carried
chem about his person. even to dinner parties private
hops the opera and other places where necessary
for HIM to appear in full dress His pockets lined
with mcerschaum pipe pair Of dirty socks, soIled
gloves, small tin box containing pawn tickets, which
showed that he had been stranger TO his "unclc"
tribuod to the album Of Dear Adolf 10 know that the
volume - now quietly rcposing on the shelves Of the
pawnbrokcr
A copper plate card plate engraved with the pame
sAdoIf Graf ohna-Scaoden," and surrounded with
the imperial OF The Dohna fam ly, also found
xpttla rnF nd
from the His linen stamped with this coat OF
arms and his bore the stamp and the inscrp
tion "Count Donna =
1t is we'll known that abou, year and half ago the
real Count Dohna was robbed OF large sum OF money
and all his personal effects by three parties known to
have belonged TO Berlin, Prussia. Thee parties
arprchendcd tried and found guilty Two Of them
now serving out their term OF service IN the Berlin
prison. Tho third made his escape, having In
his possession the copper plate card plate stolen
from the Count Donna and complete undrcss
suit OF a premier lieutenan In tho Corps de Gardc
Curasrr, which also belonged to the Count donna. BY
singular coiDcid nee StabcIow has with him copper
plate card plate OF the same kna and an nndrcss suit
OF the Corps do Garde The Prusaan government will
undoubtedly demand sabcnow's return to his home.
Count Dohna will be pleased 10 get personal view Of
man who has figured so extensively on his honored
name
The prisoner confessed 10 Chief Young that his real
name Francis stabenow, and that certain kilograms
and notes addressed 10 HIMSELF and signed "Your
Father. = "From Papa" &c. were written by himself
Tor the purpose OF aiding him in the preparation OF his
ARGUS frauds s,nbenow Is as yet nero boy: Hc
gave his age as nineteen years, but Is probably
In he ght has very long arms aud legs,
and is rather lazy in his He has light hair,
smooth RID face very sht aud small mustache, teeth
in excellent repair Boston dentist well attest,
largo gray eyes and very narrow chin He IS pcrsn
OF good address speaks English uenty, plays the piano
brilliantly and writes elegantly In this regard
sender Of modern times has equailed him His powers
OF imitation are great He will be held at tho Central
Office for short time until he be Identified by par
ties from other cities and until further instructions
be had REGARDING him.
The Developments thus far made Of his doings show
that confidence operator the famed Russian Count
could be nothing more than valet for this fellow who
cecded In impressng everybody with idea OF his
cenuin.n ness and being received accordingly.
! Highway Robberics by Daylight.
y IL only few evenings since that there was larceny