Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-05-29
PRINCE OF SMINDLERS.
Tho Extraordinary Career OF ''Chev
ulier'' Alfred ParaL

hNh aAhAtu EhNdAs
The New York Times publishes an
account of the career of "Chevaliern
Alfred Paraf, who died recently in Lima,
Peru. Although scarcely forty years
old, Parat had successfully swindled the
people OF two continents, and in a little
over ten years he had squandered more
than $4,000, 900, all drawn from the
pockets of his victims. Paraf was an
Alsotian, of wealthy parentage, and was
a thorough and ACCOMPLISHED chemist
In early manhood he engaged in various
swlndling operations abroad. Finally
he sold an uncle ''now color for $IO,-
600, which had really been invented and
patented by friend, and fed to America.
The Tunes account continues:
Paraf landed in,New York in 1867. He
was then only twenty-five years old, very
engaging in his manners, and gifted with
a ready tongue, which was the chief
weapon with which he intended to at
tack the capitalists of this country. He
FIRST called upon Messrs. Bredt & Co.,
chemists and dealers in colors, and
through them secured an introduction to
Professor Chandler, of Columbia college.
HIS great scheme at this time was to
manufacture iodine from SPONGE and he
asked Professor Chandler to analyze his
process. The scheme was found to be
lmpracticable and was dropped, and
Paraf then turned his attention to the
working of his old bonanza, the inven-
ton of colors for calico printing. He
professed to have discovered an "ani-
line black" superior to any in the market
and with this discovery he Travelled
through the manufacturing towns of
New England, selling licenses from
81, 600 to SO, 900 each. The result of
this campaign was fortune of $50, 900
IN cash, with which Paraf returned to
this city and began life of elegant
pleasure which fairly dazzled the people
who witnessed it. He brought with him
tall and stylish blonde named Marian
Woodbury., whom he introduced as Nine.
Parat, and took apartments on the first
hoor OF the Everett house, for which he
paid 1925 week. They were furnished
sumptuously, and their occupant to all ap-
pearances had more money than he
could comfortably dispose of. He alb
solutely threw his gold away.
Any friend who desired loan
of 81 900 or 81, 900 had only to ask it,
and the money was his without the for
mallty vi giving note or any other Sc
curity. In some cases Paraf pressed these
loans on his friends when he thought
them III need. The result was inevitable.
lie was constantly surrounded by crowd
of t1attcrers who bled him as freely as
even he could desire. It is told of him
that he would drive to the hotel early in
the evening and leave the carriage stand
ing at the door all night. He was too
lndolent to send down an order for its
dismissal, but would chcerfully pay the
driver $25 or $50 in the morning for sit
ting on his box all night. Paraf's lux
urlant tastes led him into the most ex-
traordinary freaks. When taking a
bath, which he did daily, he would pour
$50 worth of otto of roses into the water
and lie and enjoy the fragrance in true
Oriental style for an hour or two at a
time. lie gave elegant dinner parties at
Delmonico's old Fourteenth street place,
and at these he entertained rovally sci
entists, lawyers, and society men. His
lavish expenditures soon attracted atten-
ton to him, which was what his vanity
craved, and he became a social lion in
the metropolis.
With this style of living $50, 900, which
was drawing no interest, could not last
long, and one morning the Chevalier
Parat awoke to find his bank account
closed and himself penniless. As he had
been in the same condition often before,
the fact did not alarm him seriously.
The sham Nine. Paraf abandoned him
until he could secure another fortune for
her to help him to spend, and Paraf turned
his attention to the problem of in.
venting new swindle The "aniline
black" scheme was exhausted by the
fact being known that the real owner
and patentee of this dye, from whom
Paraf had stolen the process in Europe,
was preparing to visit this country to
make those who had used the dive paw
for it. So Paraf pushed his explorations
into another field. He pretended to
have discovered a new color which he
called cloverine, and this time his victim
was wealthy damask manufacturer of
this city. While conducting his bogus
chemical experiments, which was his
usual method of giving eclat to his pre-
tended discoveries, an explosion &C.
Cured which nearly ended the career of
both Paraf and his victim. The result
OF the cloverine venture was that Paraf
secured another barrel of money, and the
manufacturer was obliged to 90 out of
business after spending his fortune on a
worthless invention. Paraf spent this
money as he had the first, and after a
few months he was again penniless. with
ms trunks and those of his alleged wife
In the hands of the hotel keeper.
1t was at this point in his career that
ne made bold stroke by which he VIC
alnlzed Ex-Governor Sprague, of Rhode
Island, and made that then wealthy
gentleman pay for his luxurious tastes
Tor more than year. Governor Sorague
was on business visit to this city, when
Parat called on him at the Fifth Avenue
hotel, with the air of man who had
millions to give away, although at this
time he was absolutely reduced to ex.
tremities He told the governor that
he had discovered a new method of
employing the extract of madden
IN calico printing at cheaper
rates than that in ordinary use. BY his
facile speech and cunning artifce he
succeeded In convincing Governor
Sprague that there were millions in the
new discovery and Paraf went to Prov
idence with his victim, where he per-
formed his deceptive experiments in
such manner as to satisfy the governor.
The result was that Paraf received SIS.
600 cash for his invention and prom.
Use of part of the prospective profits
derived from its use. On the basis OF
this fraud the nrnntinn of nxtonniun ma