The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-07-24
THE DIAMOND ROBBERY.

IL March, 1850, thcre arrived Mt Con
stnntinople, by the Austrian Lloyd's
steamer Vorwarts, nobleman styling
himself Count Steffnno Perrag.
He took IL suit of rooms Mt Mesirie's
fashionable hotel in Pera, and by his
lavish style OF living soon became the
centre of attraction. He said That he
was colonel of tho Austrian Imperial
Guards and IL member of the Dict. Ho
had come to Turkey OH private govern
mcnt affairs, and was furnished with
numerous introductions to tho different
foreign ambassadors and merchant
princes.
month after his arrival, he headed
n subscription list with the sum of
,c5, 900, pinsteres, in aid "of Madame
Sophie Cartenagg, the widow of the late,
NJ. Cartenagg, formerly banker of Ber-
lin, who, by the sudden death of her
husband, found herself in strange
land, with her three young children,
destitute of support" In some such
manner ran the heading of the subscrip.
ton list.
Count Porragi humanely took upon
himself the task of soliciting the sub.
scriptions, and, incredible MS it may
seem, collected the sum of $4,000 in
about twenty days !
One morning Perragi suddenly tlsap-
pcnrca. Suspicious having arisen, the
police authorities we're instructed to
find out Nine Cartenagg. But, alas
for human crcdnlity! the police swore,
by The beard of NIohammed, that Ma
dame was n myth, npd the Crescent
City knew her not Done, by Jove
Done to the tune Of $4,000! Thus ends,
The hrst ac; in tlis strange dranlu.
Now for the second act. Not far from
tho Cafe dc Paris stands the shop Of
NM. Degrant Brothers, diamond brok,
ers to his imperial majesty the sultan.
Opposite to this extensive depot of pre-
cious stones stood tho pharmacy OF DR..
Jacob Valpass. Five minutes walk
from these two establishments stands
the Hotel dc PEuppe.
In the latter place, Nine Estelle
Deorest and her sickly son, Albert,
had hired magnificent snite of rooms
for tho winter. She was n quite
melancholy sort of lady, and about
thirty. All her thoughts seemed cen
tered i'll her boy. But oh how sur
passipgly lovely she was /! They say
that the walters of the Europe made
quite handsome thing ont of her by
allowing sundry "sparks" to peep Mt
madame through the kcy-Eolc, as she
sat i'll her elegant morning costume Mt
breakfast. She paid her bills regularly.
saw no visitors, and received no letters.
So much for madame.
NJ. Degranti junior (thc jewellery,
was n rather fast young fellow, very
rich, and very fond of horses. The
elder brother, at this time, wns absent
in Paris.
!. DIR. jacob Valpass was man of
thir.y.two, and considered very clever
His father had left him some consider
able property, but, as he was passion
ately devoted to his profession, he still
continued in practice Wo have now
sufficiently described tho four principal
actors in The drama.
1t was after ten o'clock one night,
and DIR. VnIpass sat in his study. a
person requested to see him. y tall,
deeply veiIed lady entered. DIR. Val
rass politely offered her n chair, and
asked her the nature of her business.
With n deep sigh, she threw back her
veil, md tho doctors weaker human
half surveyed that dazzling beauty in
bewildcrment. She told her story in
n quiet, brief manner. Sho had an only
son on whom she dotted passionate]y.
He was subject to fits of monomania.
And, most extraordinary as it might
seem, his desires 10 lay in the fact that
nothing but diamonds placed about
him would satisfy his cravings. She
had consulted the best medical men in
Europe, and they prescribed change of
scene. She had travelled a great deal,
but without any saIlitary eject npon
her boy. Sho had been advised to con.
suit DIR. Valpass, md, as her son had
just recovered from ono of those pc
ricdical fits, she earnestly requested
him to visit her Mt the Hotel dc rEu-
rope.
DIR. Valpass took charge of this Curl
ons case, and soon became very inti-
mate with Madame Deorest To be
brief, poor Vulpass fell deeply in love,
and month after their acquaintance he
to her, and was accepted.
Thus stood matters in Decembtr, 1851.
and SO closes the second act.
The last scene opens on the 4th day OF
January, 1852. Dr. VGlpass was put
ting on his gloves preparatory to enter
ing his carriage, when he saw his afIi.
anced bride ruGhing madIy toward him.
He ran ont and met her.
What is the matter. Estcle 2"
"Oh, he is worse Oh, come to him
come to him !" cried the frantic
mother.
"Ono moment; step into the cariage;
will be With you Immediately"
BE crossed over to the establishment
Of Mcssrs. Degrnntj,