The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-05-12
A VERSATILE SWINDLER.

A VERSATILE SWINDLER.
A New York paper relates the adven-
lures of fellow such as a large class of
people delight to honor The report is
as follows
ga recent guest at some of the best
hotels in this city has been man who
represents himself as an Egyptian of
great wealth visiting this country for
pleasure and for the purpose of study
ing American life, manners and insti-
tutions The name which appears in
large letters upon the hotel registers is
Selim r, Bey. He speaks English,
French and German fluentIy is mine
of information concerning his pretended
native cOuntry, Egypt is accomplished,
versatile, and of fine presence, ana as
sumes an easy air of familiarity with
distinguished people such as to impress
those with whom he comes in contact
with the belief that he is really, as he
says, on intimate terms with princes,
dukes and earls abroad and man of
consequence in his own country. He
has had the confidence Of many well
known families in this city and mingled
with the members on friendly terms
he has been feasted, entertainments
have been given for his pleasure, and
he has been the recipient of many at"
tentions and honors.
when he arrived in this city he went
to the Windsor Hotel, had some of the
best rooms in the house set apart for
his use, and incurred an expense of sew
eral hundreds of dollars & week. When
the bill was presented he looked at it
with q calm Indifference and said he
would settle it when his letters of credit
came. But they did not come, and the
proprietDrs urged payment. Finally
they threatened TO expose him, and he
succeeded in obtaining the requisite
sum from the member of q family who
believed his stories and whose son was
acting as his private secretary. Selim
II. l}py then went TO the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, where he soon became in arrears,
and when he was forced to pay what he
owed succeeded in getting the same per.
sons TO advance the money Other per-
sons who have trusted him are still
waiting for the 'remittances' to arrive.
Some incredulous people, who have
doubted the genuineness of the mans
stories communicated with the police,
and yesterday letter was shown to
Commissioners Erhard and Wheeler
from Cairo, Egypt, which proves Sellm
Il. Bey 10 be Uue of the most accom-
plished swindlers of the age. His true
name is Solomon Rosenweig. He is a
Syrian Jew and a native of Beyrcut,
where he learned English, French and
German, and acted as Interpreter for
travellers. He swindled a number of
PERSONS, and for various thefts vas
arrested and locked up in prison. He
made his escape, and was next seen in
Cairo, Egypt, where he committed
many thefts and was bastinadoed. He
then went to Alexandria, where he re-
presented himself to be a Syrian of
great wealth, and by the aid of forged
letters obtained access to the best socie-
ty. lie became visitor in one of the
wealthiest families of that city, and
succeeded in winning the affections of
and betraying one of the daughters.
When satisfied that further concealment
of his true character would soon be I'M
possible he robbed the wronged girl of
her diamonds and jewels and fled to
Europe. He passed some time in Paris
and elsewhere on the continent, swind-
ling the credulous on an extensive
scale, and then went to London, where
he cheated many hotel keepers. Be-
coming too well known there he came
to this city and continued The same plan
of operations. lie has little baggage,
aud when Mr.. Waite, of the Windsor
Hotel, seized what he had for non>pay-
ment of board he found one gold sleeve
butten, marked with the mans true
initials, IS. r. and cheap jewelry to
the value of about fifty cents. RoSen-
welg is still on his travels, and there
are some people who yet put faith in
his stories. His record, however, is
known by the police"