Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-05-15
A REMARKABLE IMPOSTER.
From 6 Travels in France and Germany in 1865
and 1866 by Capt. Spencer.


was nothing remarkable in my fellow
travellers, nor in their conversation, until
we arrived at the third or fourth station,
where we received an addition to our
party in the person of passenger, as re-
markable for the neatness of his equip
ment as the perfectly gentlemanly style of
+ his general appearance. Everything
about him exhibited the taste of a man of
the upper ten thousand who had plenty
OF money at his command, and was ac-
customed to the best society.
Up to the present time, as the converse
| ton of my fellow travellers had consisted
OF nothing more interesting to a stranger
than the prospects of the harvest and
the vintage half dozed in the corner of
the carriage, quietly enjoying my cigar.
"Ah! monsieur" exclaimed our new
voyageur, "what a splendid cigar that is
you are smoking! knew it to be an Ha-
vana, by the aroma, the moment l en-
tered the carriage. You cannot get such
thing now in France, at any price, UNI
less you import them yourself, and then
you must get a special order to do SO from
the Government. Nevertheless fine as
yours undoubtedly are, think mine are
equally good" said he, handing me at the
same time his cigar-case to help myself.
| This led to most animated conversation,
and if was struck by the distingue appear
ance of the stranger at first, half an hours
conversation showed me that he was man
of rare ability Like myself, he was also a
great traveller; had been all over Europe
and great part of Asia and Northern Afri-
ca, spoke several of the languages of
| Europe with great f1uency, as well as little
Russian and Turkish; and, while compar-
ing notes, found he was as well acquainted
with the manners and customs of the
various countries he had visited as myself
very unusual thing in Frenchmen,
who have nothing of the passion of the
English for travelling, and rarely speak any
foreign language sufficiently well to make
| themselves understood.
During the whole night we amused our
selves with details of our adventures, and
anecdotes of the strange characters we had
met with during our travels took refresh
ments together at different bullets along
the line; treated each other in the same
friendly, confiding manner as if we had
known each other for years. Nothing Oc-
CURED to interrupt our harmony, until
arrived at Marseilles, where having secured
place in the steamer bound for Algiers,
we sat down to a comfortable breakfast at
our hotel | had, however, scarcely taken
the first mouthful, when the waiter entered
telling me there was gentleman waiting
to see me in the adjoining room. A glance
was sufficient to tell me that the person
who had sent for me was an agent of the
police.
"Mopsieur est Angzais9" said he, rather
abruptly
soul Monsieur"
II thought so. You have come direct
from Paris, and you are on your way to
/ Algiers; you took some refreshment at
| Lyons, and drank bottle of old Cham
berlin with your conepognon de g0yoge of
the railway carriage"
"Most accurately described" replied.
"Did you ever meet with the gentleman
befOre?"
Never"
"Of course, then, you know nothing of
| his history or antccedents?"
Absolutely nothing"
mo doubt you find him a very pleasant
companion ?"
II never met with one more agreeable OF
gentlemanly."
$50 much the worse for those he selects
as his victims. Just look and see if you
have lost anything"
No; here is my money all right in my
pocket book, and there are my dispatches
in the breast-pocket of my coat"
Marvellous most marvelousp cried
my interrogation. "You will no doubt be
astonished when l tell you that you have
made the acquaintance of one of the most
accomplished cheUdljers djndustrie at this
moment in all Europe, who, nOtwithstand-
ing his disreputable calling, is nobleman,
| and related to some of the first families in
France We have nothing against him at
present; for the very best reason, that he
has only just completed his term of i'm
| prisonment; but he is such wonderful
actor, and his DISCUSSES are so numerous,
and so true to nature, that even the Argus
| eyes of the most viglant agent dc police
are deceived Indeed it was only by the
slightest chance recognized him, and then
I owe it entirely to that strong bottle of
Burgundy he helped you to drink at Ly-
ons; but so it is, and has ever been, in nine
cases out of ten, the cleverest men in crime
that l have had to do with, lose their wits
/ when they take glass too much" On
saying this, he turned on his heel, and most
unceremoniously quilted the room | was
bewildered. / knew not what to think.
Might it not be a case OF mistaken
identity ?-some persons so much resemble
each other The more thought, the more
| considered the matter, the moresI be-
. Geved | had arrived at the right conclu-
sion What, so perfect gentleman as
that to be common pilferer IA common
picl1pocket! Preposterous! | had lost
nothing; on the contrary he had plenty
of money at command, and throughout the
Journey paid his share of whatever we had
in common, as every other high-spirited
gentleman would have done | was lost in
amazement, and full of confidence in the
honorable character of my friend. | en-
tered the breakfast-rOOm, and laughlngly
said, in the off-hand manner of a man who
disbelieves IN toto what he is about to say
"Do you know, monsieur, that have just
had visit from an agent dc police, who has
told me that you are one OF the greatest
eScrocs of the day ?-one of the most ac-
complished c7teU0liers d'industrle at this
moment in Europe?"
Monsieur have you seen any thing III
my conduct during our short acquaintance
to warrant such suppOsition?" he an
swered, drawing himself up with all that
indignation of manner and bearing that
might be expected from gentleman who
felt himself injured by an unjust suspicion.
/" Nothingr / exclaimed p" on the con-
trary, in all my travels | never met with
companion I liked SO much, no one that
was more amusing and all regret is that
did not kick the fellow down stairs
Don't be so hasty, monsieur. Appear
ances are all in my favor but alasl every
word the agent told you is too true. am
sorry dog, for, having lost all that had,
and afterward what my friends and rela-
- L., Il. LODI