New-York tribune., 1880-01-10
CAUGHT BY A TITLE
DUpFS OF 1 PRETENDED COUNT

his ENGAGEMENT TO YOUNG WONAS WHO
LOANS HIM MONEY TO BUY PRESENTS FOR HER
HIS DIsAPPEARANCE BEFORE THE WEDDING.
An adventurer calling himself Count Maurice de
Fez has been swindlipg some very respectable per-
sons in this city, by promises of marriage and offers
of introduction to his titled friends. The youna
woman who hoped TO become a Countess sold her
furniture. and c0nfdng friend contributed his
dress suit and a fine shirt. and in return was to be
introduced TO the Count de Kergaron, who has
never appeared. The swIndlcr is supposed TO have
fed to Montreal.
CAREER OF THE ACCOMPLISHED CHEAT.
About four months ago Il young man age
twenty seven who claimed to be Count Mturiee de
Fez" took an apartment in private hOuse IN Twelfth
st. The room was a small on the ton floor but this
elegant person said ne was compelled 10 submit to
the humility OF occupying hall bedroom, after
the comforts Of his past life, in consequence Of
his remtances failing to arrive from his mother the
Countess de Fez. France. Unti within the last few
days nothing known of his movements AZ the house
where he lived except that he talking OF going 10
Cuba take part the revolution and that lie was lh
dustriously making love to n young American women
IN Twenty-fOurihst. He taking his meals at some
OF the principal French and Spanish restaurants He
promised to nav his bills when the long expected
remittance should arrive from France. A week or Two
ago 1t was made known ny tue Count that
his attentions to the young lady were to eliminate IN
bis marriage TO her Tuesday, Janunfy g. by Father
Quinn, in an uptown French Catholic church II was
to he "grand" affair The French Consul he said
was to be beat man and give The bride and other
foreigners of pos ton were to be among the guests
But there was no money yet; something must d. done
The young lady, to be Countess was not without
an cxpedcnt, and brdged OTcr the difficulty by selling
all her Misunderstanding her piano and house
hold goods. After taking bridal tour becoming
tl,. In coI fnr Eran
As another expcdent for getting money from his in
tended bride ordered her expensive seaskin sack
and then persuaded her 10 give him 5000 for the pr-
poso making the advance payment At this point his
victim began for the rst time to have her suspicious
week ago to-day, while preparations st being
made the wedding. ne drove in hot haste from his
lodcing-housc in Twefhst and took train for Mon
ircal.
The deserted g,as bride, who 3 about tweutythree
years old and coodooking that the attentions OF
the Count d Fcz were hrst forced upon her and that
bee had threatened several times 10 shoot himself she
should refuse 20 marry him. Hcr family was favoraby
disposed toward him aud had several times loaned HIM
sums Of money The French n'ul denies any init
macy with this person and says ne only knows
him A. an applicant several times Tor fayors
n could not hc asc raincd yesterday how much money
had been secured IN a but may De safely estimated az
several hundred dollars. oth' should be added two
or three huulred in unpaid bills at different res
.uTani- and boading-hou,cs.
Tnc acquaintance from whom the suit of clothes and
other yau4l. articles borrowed -ald yesterday 20
TElnrSE reporter thar ne met ihe Couui dc Fez. for
the first time. two months age, IN Spanish boarding
house IN Nntl.st "Before long" hc continued, che
frankly told that hc IN straitcued circumstances
nud borrowed SD saying De would replace 70 ai soon as
oi, neat draft from Franco sloll arrive. LyrYth'ur
hc said 80 plausible it WAS almost impossible not 60
believe him I'll. complete mastery Of hi. own languac"
and his naeucy IN spanish. Ealli-u and Italian.
and his Wide knowledge OF different countries.
seemed 20 mark hlm rs man ~ culture IT'S frank
urss aul apparent humility ia ac,cptil favor, tended
o. disira Suspicion. About two weeks aro hc t"ld me
fl.I "a s1n.n OF his, the touur dc hrr.uou, W1@ ou
h.. rny from Australia, whore hc bad been cu lu.-
iug exp non and would soon "rrNe Ia N""-l .'h.
H., ,,. clothes, ho represented. were in plwn-hop
lud to make tc-U. table np.t.fiu'' Tor tit 'cc'-
h" ashc1 me 70 Deg tim ha'c my o1c'- sun IN
mad thc cNcrln-c-cy"n 20 - shltL f..1 st-t'
NO., ,h@ C.3ut de- Kcr.arlon-vlom / may say now
wa plainly only myin-hlt on Ihe aay ''l IoI l4o M
meeting ln tail ni- had uurNn.rcl llF
% PlIaItipl.a, 20 bc ahacut three or four days. \
week. ago boz wrote note stating thut rae Count de-
Hotel Brn-Nlck on Monday. 'lhe Count dc R"r-
sIl''9N 81 %y Swrdire Ard yourscn tie second 5cst
man At 3 o'clock on Monday you viii please
Cnnt de- Ksfrar1on and NV M iuc6 viii there whcn
Monsieur Brcu VIII sign the papers IcazIng The mar
The arrangement was that The party should 20 ii
rcflv fo tie circh and nave the ceremony performed
I'm the meantime elaborate dinner was being prepared
by H. Grand 10 IwchtYfh1dst. The tnhht made out
his OWE bi ol fare. udinE ycnZ1a. plcslutt. nl-f-
urlcsd vino and numb Of other expensive UKulc-.
Nucn Lc Grand told hlin that II would be
v,ry expensive be replied That 10 was no mat
ter; De vould pay o.y price. Toe woman
o. whom he 20 Doe married was ul aut she c"ud
uuv Tho hl necessary. Ihcu rurutu h~ tnc'r down
last Of articles DEE purchdsrd for the bride. including
diamond tutrlus. Il-hiu -ttt, he asked lc Grand
II me- couldn't accommodate him wita 80 until ihe next
dan IL would be- great accommodation II Ae would d.
.o kind. Monsieur J. nd Was taken go D. surprise
that he gave him TIC money.
Tho last time saw him was Friday even
INC. when ne made appunimcrt 10 see me
tine arrived another unio ctne when read;
Il am extremely busy to-day. Impossible 10 see Won
" ~ come morrow az o'clock auu take you 10 dhC
with Count dc Ktrgtuou. AT o'clock SUNDAY night
the yOuur woman whom he was 20 have married came
To- sec inr u search ~ her prospective husband enc
sand De lll not been 20 see ho for day or tvo ana
she was very mach afraid something had happened
She was ril gut: something had happ 'u'i..
Since the sudden dt- appearance "i inc count a." ft
many interesting details have come out In
connection with hl- relation 10 lHi W
son who expected To bccomc countess A.
IlsIt whose ofIte - 20 No 10 Broadway, ana s
hr attorney addressed letter To the tDintfs- "c IrH
France asking fur rem ttaucr oi '"No 'Itics. MI
Nlrsi.r vas also iuportuurd 10 ndNhh,r ir" "u"t-
bui declined Among those who were 10 bo Invited 10
the wedding dinner was represented 10 be CDleIJus-
tec D4ly. .
Ouya few facts regarding the Counts previous his
tory could obtained yesterday. ii was learned that
Dee Wa- employed for few pIont~ GbUut year ago IN
the Chirllcr institute. at Ftyuintl-st ana slAth-aVe
lie lived FOR while a. boarding house 40 Ihird ana
Greene sts Tho opinion was expressed yesterday
by many Frcnchmcn that the pretended count Vas a
member Of "A gang of young men VINO made thclr NihS
hy their wits and Who had headquarters III Leicester
square London.