The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1868-05-27
[From "Travels in France and Germany
in 1855 and 1885, by Capt. Spencer.l
A REMARKABLE IMPOSTER.

1
, nothing remarkable in my fellow-trayelers,
nor in their conversation, until we arrived
at the third or fourth station, where we re-
ceived an addition to our party in the per-
son OF a passenger, as remarkable for the
neatness OF his equipment as the perfectly
genllemaniy style Of his general appear
ance. Everything about him exhibited the
taste OF man of the upper ten thousand.
who had plenty Of money at his command,
and was accustomed to the best society,".
Up to the present time. as the conyersa-
4 ,tionrof my,iellow travellers had consisted of
nothing more interesting to stranger than
the prospects Of the harvest and the vim
tage, | half dozcd in the corner of the car
riagc, quietly enjoying my cigar.
AID monsieur" exclaimed ournew. voy-
ager, "wnat splendid cigar that is you are
smoking! | knew it to be a Havana, by
the aroma, the moment entered the car
riage. You cannot get such thing now IN
France at any price, unless you import
them Yourself. and then YOU must get
special order to do so from the Govern
ment. Nevertheless, fine as yours umloubt-
edy are, think mine are equally good, :"
said he, handing Inc at the same time his
cigar case to help myself. s--
This led me to most animated conver-
satlon, and if | was struck by the distingue
appearance of the stranger at first, half an
hours conversation showed me that he was
a man of rare ability. Like myself, he was
also great traveller; had beer all over Eu-
rope and great part Of ASIA and North
crn Africa, spoke several of the languages
of Europe with huency, as well as a little
Russian and Turkish; and, while comparing
notes, found he was as well acquainted
| with the manners and customs OF the varis
Gus countries he had visited as myself-a
yery unsual thing in Frenchmen, who have
nothing of the passion of the English for
travelling. and rarely speak any, foreign lans
guage, sufficiently well to make themselves
understood.
During. the whole night Ee amused our
selves with details of our adventures, and
anecdotes of the strange characters We had
| met with during onr travels, took refresh
ments together at different bpffets along the
| fine: treated each other in the same friends
| "; confding manner as if we had know
| each other for years. Nothing occurred to
interrupt our harmony until | arrived at
Marseilles. where, having secured place
| ia the steamer bound for Algiers, we sat
down to comfortable breakfast at our ho-
tel | had, however, scarcely taken the
first mouthfnl, when the waiter entered,
telling me there was a. gentleman waiting
to see me In the adjoining room. A e 'ance
was sufficient to rel me that the person
who had sent for me was an agent of the
police. a,,s -, :,
abruptly.
"Qm monsiear.
81 thought so. You have come direct
from Paris, and you are on your way to
Algiers: you took some refreshment at Ly-
ons, and drank a bottle Of old ChaDbertin
with your compoynon de roydge Ct the rail.
way carriage"
"Most accurately DESCRIBED replied.
"Didyou ever meet with TIE gentleman
before?"
Never"
"Ol course, then, you know nothing Of
his history or antecedentsl
Absolutely nothing. "
"No doubt you find him very pleasant
compaDion?'
II never met with one more agreeable or
gentlemanly. =
$50 much the orsc for those he selects
as his victims, just n,, look and see If you
have lost anythingY
NO, mere Is NY lIpHc3 al ilSut HI MY
rocket book, and there are my dispatches
in the breast pocket of my coat.
"Marvelous-- most Marvellous" cried
nv iate,roeator. You will no doubt be
astonishcd when tell you that you have
made the acquaintance OF one OF the most
ACCOMPLISHED cherdhers diniush7'e at this
moment in all Europe, who, nowithstand-
ing his disreputable calling, is nobleman,
RI Z ha f,n
France. We have nothing against him at
present, for the very best reason that be
has only Just completed his term of impris-
onment; but he is such wonderful actor,
and his disguises, are so numerous and so
true true to to nature, that even the Argus eyes of
the a0eaf de p0Lice is deceived. Indeed it
was ONLY by the slightest chance | recogniz-
ed him. and then | owe it entirely to that
strong bottle Of Burgundy he helped you
to arink at Lyons; but so it is, and ever has
been. in nice cases out of ten, the cleverest
men in crime that | have had to do with,
lose their wits when they take glass too
| much" On saying this he turned on his
heel heel and most unceremoniously Quilted
| the room. / was bewildered. | knew not
what to think. Might it not be case OF
mistaken identity?-some persons 50 much
resemble each other The more thought,
the more | considered the matter, the more
believed | had arrived at the right con-
clusion. What, so perfect gentleman as
that to be a common pllierer!--a common
pickpocket! Preposterous | had lost
nothing: on the contrary ne had plenty OF
money at command, and throughout the
journey paid his share OF whatever we had
in common, as every other highsplrlted
gentleman would have DONE. 1 was lost in
amazement and iull OF confidence In the
honorable character of my friend. 1 enter
| ed the breakfast room and Iaughingly said,