Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-25
= . tssss'ss., 1870 sst'sssss
HON. GEORGE BANCROFT,
American Minister to Prussia.

and had solicited an interview with her. His
request had been granted at once, and there had
been ushered into her room an elderly gentle
man with distinguished mien, gray hairs and
gray side whiskers, who said that the admira-
ton which his American countrymen enter
tanned for MIME. Muhlbach's works had made him
DESTROYS OF forming her acquaintance. In the
course of the conversation he mentioned that
he believed he had seen Nine. Muhlbach during
one of his rides in Thiergarten with his fdRcc
Mile. Ida Meyerbeer.
Nine. Muhlbach and her two friends, who had
no doubt whatever that their visitor was the
veritable minister of the United States, and no
impostor, congratulated him warmly upon his
impending union with the accomplished daugh-
ter of the immortal composer. The stranger
next inquired where the elder daughter of Mme
Muhlbach, Theodore, the actress, was. He said
he had seen and admired her at the Victoria
theatre in Berlin, and upon being informed that
she was playing at the Royal theatre in Cassel
he SAID that he was on his way to that city, and
when Nine. Muhbach asked him to call upon
her daughter there, replied that he would glad
ly do so if Nine. Muhlbach wonld give him
letter of introduction to her daughter. After re-
ceiying this letter he took leave Of Nine Null
bach and her TWO friends.
This was all the information which Nine
Muhlbach was able TO give Mr.. Bancroft and
the Austrian baron. She expressed profound
regret at having unwittingly done so much mis-
Cnltl, anu HeHpeu UalculctlOnS upon the head
Of the impostor who had deceived her. But who
was this impostor, and what had been his OBJ
ject in passing himself off for George Bancroft?
All inquiries made to ascertain anything about
him were utterly frutless. Gradually the mat
ter dropped out of sight. Mile Meyerbeer was
married TO the Baron Teller, Mr. Bancroft re.
covered his equanimity, and Nine. Muhbacl
went on writing historical novels in many vol.
umes.
But last month, five years after the interview
with the mysterious stranger at Prymont, it was
discovered who he was. At one Of the leading
hotels in Ems, the fashionable watering place in
Western Germany, there had stopped for some
time an elderly gentleman, who had registered
his name as Lord Chichester, and who had bor
rowcd considerable sum of money from bis
landlord on check on the Westminster hank
Of London. The check came back protested
the officers Of the London bank reporting tbat
they knew of no such person as Lord Cliches.
ter.
AS matter Of course the elderly gentleman
was arrested, and an examination Of his trunks
showed at once cOnclusiyey that he was A
swindler. lie bad with him thousands of new
visiting cards, bearing the names of distin.
guished statesmen and diplOmatists, About one
hundred OF them bore the name of the Honora.
bic George Bancroft. large number of letters,
TOO, were found in the trunks, and they estab.
llshcd unmistakably the fact that he had used
the aliases Of distinguished public men for the
purpose Of obtaining money from persons easily
uuped Among these letters was the one which