Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-10-06
AN IMAGINARY KINGDOM.
Tho Extraordinary swindle OF Fart
Shnrpers.

>
Tho Extraordinary swindle OF Far
ShRrpers.
: A Paris correspondent sends the 10
: lowing remarkable story TO his paper
: The unaccountable credulity OF the hor
est has been for ages tho patrimony {
swindlers. One Of the most extraord
nary cases on record amazed and amuse
the correctional tribunal Of Paris
couple Of weeks ago. The ministers IN
followers OF the innocent imaginar
King OF the Marianne islands have bee
in the dock for creating kingdom, pre-
claiming sovereign, and procurin
financial advances, not so large bu
quite rs swindling as Greek or Spanis
loans.
Young Anthony Lanfrey is the son q
an honest man near Grenoble, VIII
plants cabbages and may be called
gardener. BY the sweat Of his brow
and the thrift Of his wife, this old ma
was enabled to place his son at school
where at seventeen years Of age he wa
preparing to be poor teacher. Las
year a great letter, sealed with splendi'
armorial impressions, was presented n
the academy for Anthony. 1t had COM
in the first instance to his father VIII
was addressed in the missive as "roya
highness," and informed him that per
son of his name and family had immi
grated couple of hundred years ago t.
the Marianne islands, that descendan
had been long since called to the thron.
of the country, and that his last inheritol
had recently died, leaving no male heir
King Ferdinand had, moreover, made
his last will and testament, which, will
other State papers and DEGREES, was en-
closed. At his majesty's recent death il
was found by this will that he had left
his kingdom and treasures to said An
thony, the son of Lanfrey the gardener,
as his next male known relative, on con.
dition that he, the Anthony, should
marry the beautiful granddaughter OF
his majesty.
Though neither syntax nor ortho-
graphy was really observed in the
"Pragmatic Sanction" the familys of
Lanfrey took the affair in solemn earn-
est, and almost went mad with joy.
There was, of course, small difficulty
about entering into posse ssion they
had little or no money for the long jour-
ney.
The story had got to the ears of the
public through the press, and certain
M. Lanfranchi, who has since disap-
peared, was the first to go down from
Paris and put himself at the disposition
tion of the new royal family. He de-
clared himself ready to be the inter-
mediary with capitalists to get loan.
As an anticipatory reward for his SER
vices. he was created baron by Anthony
l., and letters patent were passed nomi-
mating him grand chancellor of the king
dom. Another gentleman who accom-
panied the chancellor, by name Roth,
was named minister of war and one NJ.
Peretti was enrolled and appointed cap
tain of the body guard. A person named
Bidot was chief of the gang. Since he
was turned out of the church, thirty
years ago-he is now over sixty-the old
man has led an exceedingly improper
life. Another of the three prisoners just
tried is named Sabatier, venerable
swindler of seventy-six, and the third is
a young fellow Of twenty, by name Tate
grain.
Bidot figured as Duke de Bouillon,
primate of the islands, crown counselor,
and grand cross of several orders. 1t is
certain he ent over to England to raise
funds, and possibly it was not difficult
for noble foreigner with so many titles
to have made more or less of haul in
London. Sabatier, being philosophical,
aspired to no grand titles, and content
ed himself with placing on his card SIM
ply "The Grand Vicar of his Eminence
the Bishop of Marianne" I think young
Tategrain was named Duke of Saint
Ange. Recollect that all this time the
innocent Anthony fully believed in his
garden.
When the Duke de Bouillon was in
they say he Jared sumptuously,
and he wrote over to say that he had nm
with Queen Victoria, who con-
sented to become Protectress of the
Marianne kingdom! Several of the
dupes, generally poor fellows, such as
walters at coffee houses who had small
savings, gave evidence on the trial. 1t
is said that the richer and shrewder per-
sons who were swindled at home and
abroad have not come forward, being
of exposing their extraordinary
King Anthony was examined, and
showed but little royalty in the Witness
box, twisting his low, shabby hat with
his fingers, and exhibiting the awkward
ness Of provincial peasant. The pris-
oners sometimes laughed ready to split |
their sides when details were given of
their artful duperies. They were grayer
when the court sentenced Bidot to five |
years. imprisonment, the venerable Sab
atier to two years, and the youth Tate
grain to fifteen months. Some of the |
most amusing confessions of the pris-
oners had reference to their distribution
or sale of the ribbons and crosses of |
heir imaginary order of knighthood.
1t is whispered that there are news
paper men in Paris who have been seen
sporting King Anthony's ribbon in their
outton holes.
A RattleSnake with Two Heads.
A Minnesota exchange says: A large