Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-29

banker had a rude shock. rs he was
| compelled to spend several months in
| prison on suspicion of having been q
party to the forgerics. Emma was sent
up for eighteen months, and the name
of the Baroness Melaine Won Hilgen-
helm was erased from the list of the no
bility.
Another swindler who recently be-
came famous through exposure had also
prospered at the expense of title-wor-
shippers. 1t seems that he was a private,
not many years since, in an Austrian
regiment. An officer in high rank was
pleased with the young fellows address,
who was both ~tins+looking and intelli-
gent, so he made the soldier his valet.
In a short time the fellow was caught
| thieving and dismissed. Not long alter
ward he bobbed up in Hungary as a
former Austrian officer, and gained adj
mission to high circles. Before long,
however, his indiscret;ons exposed him,
greatly to the CONSERVATION of those
Who had made him loans. Saxonythen
received him, where he passed for a
Count. The wealthy burghers Were
tlattercd with his attentions to their
pretty daughters, and he became en-
gagged to several in various cities, while
he borrowed large sums of his prospec-
tive fathers-in-Iaw. After it was no
longer safe he as regularly disap-
peared, and to save a scandal none of
the families would give the matter pub
LEFTY.
A few months ago the count ar
rived in Berlin and as his papers, coat
of-arms, etc, bore investigation, he was
taken at face value. Here he attempted
his old tricks, by the aid of his accom-
plice, who, however. eventually had the
"count" brought to Justice.
One evening as dusk fell. the daugh-
ter of a wealthy citizen was passing
through an u~nfrequented street to a
thoroughfare, whena man attacked her.
She scleamcd loudly, and up rushed a
acknowledgement young mar to her
rescue. He drove the ruilian off, and
then offered to see the frightened girl
to her residence. Here he asked the
privilege of calling next day to inquire
after health, and handed her his card,
Count -" Grateful for his servi-
ces and flattered at receiving a noble
mans attentions, she acquiesced. And
when he did appear next day, the girls
parents received him with elusive
thanks. The plan worked we'll. He
called frequently, and finally paid the
young woman such marked attentions
that her father looked into the
"count' S" record. He learned that no
such noble family existed in Austria,
but that the elegant "Count ~ was
q swindler of the worst type and an OK
valet. The father was a man Of spirit,
and promptly reported his discoveries
to the police. Proof of the counts
many thefts were forthcoming: he was
arrested, and at the trial his whole his
tory came out. He was sentenced to a
long term Of Imprisonment.
The latest S ansation of this nature is
fresh. The other evening two elegant
ly-attired ladies drove up in a private
carriage to a large jewelry establish
ment and entered. The room was full
of customers and all the force engaged.
While one Of the women kept a clerk
busy, the other slipped a case Of dia.
mond rings off the counter into her
cloak-pocket without being noticed.
They then left the shop, entered the
carriage, and drove away. A few min.
utes later the case of rings, valued a
something near 800, 600, was missed
From the description the police recog
nized two notorious female thieves, ano
are now searching for them. The jew.
elry firm offers $3.50 reward for the wo.
mems capture.-Berlin Cor. st. Loui
Globe-D Democrat.