Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-10
AN ECCENTRIC sp1NorHRlfT.
Arrest Of . Man Who spent SIsoOo .
Week for Wine.

milwaukee Senttnel1
News was received from Waakesha yes
terday OF the arrest Of man at that place
who Is known as ssThe Count" Tue charge
against him Is swindliDg bank in stock
holm, Sweden, out OF an immense sum OF
money. Ii the Waukesha authorities have
the right man they have captured one who
has painted more cities deep scarlet than
any man in America, and whose life has
been continual romance OF dissipation
for five years. he is q small fellow, his
weight being perhaps 125 pounds, and he
has a pale, melancholy cast OF eounte'
nance, which in his rare sober moments
would lead the observer TO believe that he
might be a theological student In disguise;
but his chief charm lies in his bona fide
nobility combined with the possession or
what appears TO be the purse of Fortuna
tus. No one has ever discovered definitely
the history of "The Count" but Ii is be-
lieyed his family name is Eckhardt. His
first notable appearance in this country
was in Kansas City, where his associa-
tions and lavish expenditures attracted
the attention of the police. Inquiries were
made, and the Swedish Consul at st.
known. ''The Count" had habit of spend
ing $1,000 or more for wine in single
week. This eccentricity was too gaudy
for even the erratic West, and more in
quiries were made, but they resulted In
nothing.
One day the dissipated nobleman mean
dered into a ten-pin alley, followed by
negro with two large hampers. "The
Count asked the proprietor how much
he would charge for rolling ten-pins
after a style peculiar to the questioner.
The proprietor said he could roll ten-pins
any way from Graeco-Roman to cushion
caroms for one dollar per hour, cash in
| advance. ''The Count" handed the pro-
| prietor a five-dollar bill and told the ne
| gro to go to the end of the alley and set
| up the pins The latter did as directed,
and was followed by the man who owned
! the alley. The servants opened the ham,
| pers and took out ten bottles OF Veuve
| Clicuuot, worth four dollars and a half a
| quart. While the proprietor was trying to
prevent paralysis from overtaking him,
| the negro gravely set up the bottles and
| climbed up on cross-beam. The proprie-
tor did likewise The Count /" very
gravely selected a small ball, and with q
nervous motion sent it up among the cross
beams. The negro and the proprietor re-
| linquished their seats and went behind
"The Count,o who selected the heaviest
ball he could find, and at the first roll
| made a ten strike. In three rolls he de-
molished the two cases and calmly walked
cut.
This was again too much for the police,
and they arrested him. They could do
nothing, and he was released. One night,
shortly after his release, the police found
him in house of ill-fame and locked him
up. He was maudlin and offered the con-
tents of a trick tobacco box to any one
who could open it. No one tried, and be
was permitted to take the box along with
him to his cell, where he slept all night
among herd of fellow drunks. In the
morning he opened the box after he had
paid his fine and displayed two diamonds
of the most remarkable brilliancy anC
size. They could not have been worth less
| thai SaItle.
One day he disappeared mysteriously
from Kansas City, and shortly afterward
it was learned that he had swindled a Stock
holm bank out of about $500, 900, and that
he had not been arrested, as his relatives
had promised to settle. His relatives
failed to square" his account, and he wa
arrested about year ago at St. Paul. II,
was taken back and convicted, but agair
escaped through the influence of his fam
lily. 1t is said he was also guilty of mur
der, but of this nothing positive is known