The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-07
FIRST EDITION
BOLD SWINDLER.
His AdveHrcres In Australia, America, India,
CHINA, ard EurOpe--A millionaire and n Pau
a rr,I


Journal from the Berlin Boersen Zeit1tng, Aug.
IA 1t will be read with special relish by Cali
forrians, as this city and State were one of the
theatres of the exploits of Edelmann;-
About the year 1859 he was employed in a to-
bacco store in this city, the largest one here at
ahat time, and which was kept by man named
Frank. He was suspected of theft and Detec-
uves Lees and Ellis turned their attention TO
him He was arrested, convicted and sentenced
to term of imprisonment in the county Jail.
Shortly after his release from this establishment
he proceeded on his travels.
Some time during the war between Prussia and
Austria, in the summer of 1866, there appeared
at the Berlin EXchagge man calling himself
Edelmann, who, apparently revelling in all the
riches of an Eastern nabob, succeeded in creating
a profound sensation, Notwithstanding the start
ling events of history at that time asitating the
mind of all Europe.
Fdelmann had deposited large sums in English
and East India banks, MS he proposed to prove
by checl-books letters, and dispatches; he wore
high order conferred by the Emperor Maxi
Der of the most eminent acquaintances. Merely
for his amusement he bought the great baronical
estate of Lyck, near konigsberg, in East Prus-
sia. and spent large sums on its improvement,
but resided mostly in Berlin.
OF course it could not be difficult for such
man to find cogniZance in the best commercial
circles. The first bankng-houses of the metro
polls W ere open to him, and he transacted emil
nent business on exchange. His household was
furnished and carried on with princely magnii-
cence. At the time when the famine in East
Prussia enlisted the sympathy of the whole
country, Edelmann was as good rs his name.
Edelmann-synonym with ''noble man." Be-
sides large sums of ready money, he contributed
to fair held for the benefit of the sufferers
costly shawl, present to him of the Queen of
Siam CD
Down to the spring of 1868 Edelmann con.
tnued here to enact this splendid role, and then
suddenly disappeared. Whence he came,
whittier he had gone, nobody knew. 1t was re-
ported from KOnigsberg that he had sold his
estate of Lyck and started on extensive travels
-hXy he mn wa ttnu
till all at once there comes to piece of news
from Frankfort-On e-Man which may interest
some of commercial circles, and is likely
to cause a tutter among those who had closer
business connections with Edelmann. He the
seeming money king, whose name whole army
of brokers and others did not utter but with the
profoundest respect whose friendship was
courted by merchant princes and embryo Roths-
childs, is nothing else but dangerous adven-
turer and swinder.
Edelmann a short time ago, took lodgings in
Frankfort hotel. He appeared there with the
same show of wealth as at Berlin. lie boasted
of his estate in East Prussia, his enormous
capital in East India and English banks, his
decorations and arstocratic acquaintances.
Strange to say, though our CrGsus was hard up
for cash, nevertheless, and in order to raise
funds, he stopped to ask the head steward of the
hotel for successive loans up to 700 forins.
With that his role at frankfort was played out
for few days afterwards he was arrested and
exposed as a swindler.
Edelmanns adventurous life furnishes most
Interesting picture of the career of swindler.
However it is to be regretted that his exposure
remains incomplete, thus far; for his principal
exploits appear to have taken place in Australia,
America, and Asia. At eighteen years of age he
left his native place, Wilkowishken, and went to
Australia, where he worked some years in the
mines. Here he also got married, and at the
same time changed his original name of Endel-
man to Edelmann. Somewhat later, he asserts,
in the capacity OF engineer, he built
a railroad to Ballarat Believe this
ceeded in deceiving the highest circles of fsociety
is oddly enough unable to write! 1t is proven
however, that IN 1858 he failed in Melbourne,
and from this time dates his career a swinder
and adventurer In California, in South America
in Panama. he reappears in the most different
characters; now as poor jewish peddler then
again as the great merchant. Forged contracts,
drafts, and bills of exchange, found on his per-
son after his arrest, gave an idea of the extent
of his swindling transactions at that time.
In 1862 we find him in the French army in
Mexico as q common soldier. He deserted to
the Liberals, did somewhat later important SER
vice as spy, and rose at last to the position of
great army contractor. At about this time, he
asserts he received the order which decorated
his breast while here
In 1868 he went to China, and from thence to
East India, where he remained to the end of
1865, and where he accumulated fortune by
great cotton contracts with the Government. In
Bombay, Edelmann again failed. In order more
effectuaIly to conceal his purpose, he, the even
ing bef re he absconded, gave his friends
splendid banquet at which all the luXures of the
Indies we're displayed. While his guests were
still revelling amidst the pleasures of the table,
he disappeared with all the ready money and
went to Europe. This last exploit undoubtedly
furnished him the large sums which he COM
manded on his arrival at Berlin.
His mean, bad character is illustrated by the
way he tried TO free himself of his wife, of
whom, it seems he became tired. She being in
London, he wrote to her from Bombay, with
directions to join him there, at the same time
sending her money enough to pay her fare.
When he knew her to be on the way, he left
Bombay, hoping that the poor, helpless woman,
4 without means or friends, would perish in the
strange land. And, indeed, after her arrival
there she fell subject to the greatest distress,
which was heightened by the circumstance of
the reported death of her husband-a rumor
started by himself for obvious reasons. At last
the British consul took her case in hand and
sent her back to London, where she is still living
In needy circumstances.
After his times of magniilcence at Berlin,
Edemann visited all the different bathing places
on the continent where gambling flourisned,
and after he had lost all his money, set to swim
ding and contracting debts. 1t appears that
lat .rly he altogether depended on his dishonest
Transactions for a living, in which he was ma
terially assisted by young woman OF great
beauty and very elegant appearance and man
ners. who travelled with him and who sue
ceeded in yictimizing many young man, otten
to the amolnt of very large sums. She passed
for niece or an adopted daughter OF Edel-
mann, but was, in fact theillegitlmate offspring
of very obscure people at Friedburgh on the
Elbe lived for a time MS servant girl at AlCoha,
from whence she went to Rastatt IN Baden
where she kept up a love affair with subaltern
officer at the garrison, and afterwards appeared
at Raden- Baden as member of the deml-monde:
Here it was that Edelmann became acquainted
..uaI Aln