The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-01-21
A ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.
and IA Hundred kwlndIes-A Final
Plot Defeated by French Justice.

Writing from Paris on December %,
the Echo correspondent says; "rhe
old saying that truth Is stranger than
fiction has been once more horne out,
10y n case which came before the Paris
Tribunal yesterday, and which novel
lists hard up for materials would do
well to study. The real name of the
hero is supposed to be Nau, but during
his eveutful career he has appeared be-
fore the public under various high
sounding titles of which Dorsainville,
Delaheld and Catalina Faure are sam.
Piles. He changed his name according
unfortunately for him, with little sue
cess, since none of his ingenious trans
formations saved him from the clutch
es Of the law. However, there is one
thing he can boast of and that is, Of
having appeared before nearly all the
Police Courts of Europe, and having
experienced their different sys-
TENS of punishment. On the pres
ent occasion he styled himself
the 'Comte de Nau, Advocate Why
he added the latter qualification was n
puzzle even to his own counsel. From
the most trustworthy information that
could be obtained, Nau is a citizen Of
Hayti, and the illigitimate offspring Of
domestic servant. At the age Of
eighteen he got into trouble at home,
and had to leave his native island to
avoid being arrested for swindling. He
first went to New York, but, finding
the American climate unpropitious to
his temperament, he crossed the At
lantic, staid few months in London,
and then came to Paris to try his for
tune. Nau is said to be very elegant
in his MANNERS, and of a distinguished
appearance. He-at once found the gay
French capital to his liking He came
out as a great foreign swell" on the
boulevards, and had no difficulty in
making host of miscellaneous friends,
among them q young man named Her
vieuX, the son of II well-t0-do trades
man in the Faubourg st. Honore, who
introduced him to the family. Our
hero soon made himself at home with
the old people, and captivated the
heart of their daughter, charming
girl of eighteen, named Pauline. The
father, simple man, listened to the
glowing account Nau gave of his wealth
and expectations in Hayti, accorded
him his daughters hand, joined to n
very respectable dowry. The marriage
took place in January, 1858, and on the
very day after Nau threw of the mask,
and came out in bis real character. He
began by spending all his wife's dowry
in amusement aud debauchery. Then
he pawhed all her jewels, which her
father was forced to redeem three times
to escape family scandal. However,
the father eventually got tired OF pay
ing his son-in laws debts, and refused
all further supplies. Nau then deserted
his wife and the children she had by
him, and returned to the boulevards in
quest of fresh victims. Being unsuccess-
| full in his marriage adventures, he
again had recourse to swindling, was
arrested and sent to Jail for three
months. On leaving prison, he passed
himself off as bachelor, and got Intro
duced to the family of rich jeweler
established in the Palais-Royal. His
winning manners and distinguished
appearance again made him the pet of
the house, and, as in the Faubourg st.
Honore, he ended by demanding the
jewelers. daughter. The jeweler con-
sented, and the wedding was on the
eve of accomplishment, when the jew
eler, thanks to the sudden interference
of a third friend, who knew the Her
vieux family above mentioned, dis
covered the real character of his
projected son-in-law, and Nau bad
to beat q hasty retreat. lie
now abandoned his schemes of
marriage, and returned once more to
his old pastime of swindling. But here
he was not more fortunate, and soon
found himself again in durance vile
for a couple of years. Tired and dis
pusted with the gay French capital, he,
on regaining his liberty, brayed the
Channel passage. and resolved to try
his luck In London. AT first he failed
in making dupes, but, by dint OF perse-
verance, he again wheedled into the
good graces Of a respectable family,
and married the daughter. Needless
To saw, as soon as he had squandered
all she possessed, he deserted her as he
had deserted Pauline Hervieux. His
career from this moment was one sue
cession of petty swindles. He turned
mn at Liverpool, Geneva, Rotterdam,
Brussels, Dresden, Berlin and May
ence, and in all these towns he sue
ceeded in finding dupes. In some ne
got married, and in Others he got into
prison. Meanwhile, to return to Paris,
his first wife, Pauline Hervieux, died
ola broken heart, leaving behind her
fonr children, and as there was proper
| ty which required to be legally settled,
the Hervieux family were forced 10
look after Nau. They wrote to the va
rious authorities abroad, and soon re-
ceived answers informing them that
ali that was known of the gentleman
i'm ouestion was that ne had been con-
vjcted of swindling and imprisoned,
and had left the country. The family
then took charge of the children. The
war now broke out, and Nau, once
more made his appearance in London,
where he pretended to be charged with
an important mission from the Gov
eminent of Tours. He succeeded SC