The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-23
AN INTERESTING SWINDLER.
Trial and Conviction of the Tenor Mario's Ec-
centric Daughter.

Trial and Conviction of the Tenor MariO'S Ec-
centric Daughter.
Berlin Letter in New York World.
Among the cases that came before the Land
geiict, or Criminal Court, during the past week,
was one which excited an unusual interest This
was the trial of the Marchesa Rita di Gambia, one
of the daughters of the celebrated tenor Mario,
Marquis d Gambia. Tie accused, who had spent
thirteen months in prison before being sum-
moned to trial, was confronted by the court with
no less than forty different charges of swindling.
She is thirty three years of age and was born in
London She is petite, vivacious in her move
ments. and in every respect typical Italian.
Her hair betrays few silver threads and the
melancholy expression of her features seems to
indicate that her path through life has not been
strewn with roses.
The Marchesa is the natural daughter of the
famous singer, Giulia Grisi. who died in this
city in 1862 and the great Italian tenor. After
the death of Grlsi, Mario adopted the girl Ritz
and her two younger sisters. He divided the
greater part of his fortune among his three
daughters Rita Mario di Gambia received for
her share 100. 900 lire, which sum was placed to
her credit in the Bank of Florence The mo-
ment the Marchesa found herself suddenly rich
she entered on prodigal style of living. Her
only idea OF the value OF money was the pleas
ure it affords its possessor in spending il as
quickly as possible. She was perpetually trav-
cling from city to city, all over the continent,
and was as continually importuning her adopted
father for additional drafts of the capital he had
deposited to her credit Mario had the weak
ness to yield to these repeated demands, and in
August 1880, his daughter received the last
1900 lire of her fortune. This, however, did
not compel her to change her manner of living.
Mario who during the latter years of his life
was reduced to the necessity of living on a mod
crate pension given him by some of his old time
friends, died at Rome in 1888. But UP to the
time of his death he divided even this small pit
tance with his extravagant daughter. After
that event. the Marchesa was left resourceless.
having only meagre pension allowed her by
her brother-in-law, a London banker. But she
could not change her habits. and still continued
her wandering mode of life,. putting up at the
most costly hotels in every city she visited She
was in the habit of making the round of the
great stores in Cologne, Padeborn Berlin and
other cities, and buying everything that took
her fancy. She passed herself off as great and
rich lady, and ran up large credits in hotels,
jewelry stores and fashion establishments.
In the spring of 1882 the Marchesa returned to
Berlin and took up costly suite of apartments
at the Furstenhof Hotel, and lived in heru sual
style When she was at last arrested for debt,
her bills were found to amount to %. 900 marks.
or $6 000 Her creditors embraced every variety
of persons from the jeweler and counturiere to
the street errand-boy She extravagant to
to the last. With her last three marks she hired
a first-class carriage and went out for drive
married lady, but unhappy she was forced to
confess at her trial that her marriage, to use her
own mild expression, was not legal"
Some curious incidents came out at the trial
For example, one of the complainants, named
Hoffman, related with comic gravity how the
Marchesa di Candia-who introduced herself to
him the Marchesa dAidnac-swindled him out
of 6, 700 marks by assuring him that she had
liaison with a certain member of the Diet. who
had offered her douceur of so, 600 marks to
liberate him from his promise to marry her. At
the trial the accused declared that discretion for
bade her naming this gentleman, who was not
member of the Prussan Diet, but of the Italian
"Diet," which caused much merrment The
Marchesa. who speaks German with fuency, en-
deavored to exculpate herself on the plea that she
mover knew the value of money which the court
declared it believed. and that she did not know
debts, which the court as frankly declared it did
not believe. The interesting swindler was con-
demned to years Imprisonment