Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-11
Strange STORY OF CRIME.

Strange STORY OF CRIME.
Consul StocktOn's Eventful Encounter in H0l
land With the Wicked Count" Zacharoff
Richard Stockton, United States Con
sul at ot;trdam, is at home on a brief
visit. talking Of an episode of his
official life there. he says that while in
Paris, Just before sailing, ne passed in the
streets the Count Z,ckarof, whose
peculiar career in New York will be we'll
remembered and whose final evil scheme
Mr.. Stuckt0n's excellent discretion and
nerve were the means of defeating. The
story was partly told in n ew York at the
time, but Mr.. Stockton consents TO give
the full details.
Zacharof appeared in New York ten or
twelve years ago under another name and
claiming to be Turkish Pasha What
his real name or nativity is does not
seem to be definitely known. In little
while he abaL dOned the Turkish pretense,
gave out that he was of a noble Russian
family and assumed the name and title
Of Count u iebaroff. He managed in
some fashion always to have an abun-
dance OF money and lived handsomely.
although on his arrival in New York he
seemed almost destitute. He never
reached, and, so far as known, did not at
tempt TO gam any position in the reoog
nlzed society, but he made a good many
friends Ia certain orioles. He pretended
So 6e particularly intimate with NicoIni
and Nine. Patti during their visit. His
acquaintance with the excellent and un
fortunate young lady whom he biga,
mo1sly married was begun shortly
after his coming to New York, through
her brother .in-law whom he met
on the steamer coming over.
Mr.. Stockton had known Zacharoff by
sight in New York, and had had some
hearsay knowledge of his true character,
when Mr.. jerks, New York lawyer, ap-
peared at the consulate II r )tterdam aud
asked Mr.. StOckton's Intervention. It
will be generally remembered that z acha.
rolf married a Miss Billings, of New York,
daughter of we'll known and wealthy
family there, and nexpectedly sailed
with her by German steamer to Rotter-
dam. Mr.. jerks was consulted by the
family add sailed on "a later bat faster
steamer, thus reaching Rotterdam before
Zacharoff's arrival.
TIE STORY TaLD TO THE lNsUL.
Following is the story he told to Consul
Stockton, and certainly there is nothing
IN romance or crime more dramatic than
are many of the circumstances here with
given of en- adveuturer's ex iraOrdinary
career Mr.. ST. ok on assured himself by
the papers in Mr.. j ell ks possession that
all he had said was substantiated to the
letter by them. The family had always
OPP osed ZacharOff's suit, Mr.. jerks ex-
pl~ined, bat Miss Billings was of age, was
deeply enamored and evidently intended
to marry him in spite of opposition.
The family could learn nothing definitely
against his character, and therefore their
consent was finally but reluctantly given.
he fact of the marriage was published
III the World the next morning, together
with many OF the romantic incidents in
Z4charC ifs career, which he had told his
friends. When, by the way, u Icharoff
was informed that the narrative was to
be printed in the World he was strangely
sgitafed and begged the reporter, even to
TIE tx'e nt of Cfferng him bride, to say
nothing about the marriage, and az any
rate not TO say any thing about his career,
especially about his life in Egypt. The
reporter asked him If he had not himself
given their details, which seemed limo
cent enough, and z lcharoff ans wered that
he had; but he had reasons just then for
not having them Re conn ed IN LriDt. His
reluctance is now easily explained IN the
story which Mr.. jerks told Consul Stock
ton.
The day of the publication in the
World a gentleman called at the It sidence
of Mrs. Billings, on Madison avenue.
Being admitted, he ex plained TO Mrs. Bill
lings that ne resided in Philadel phis
that he was ordinarily in the habit Of
reading the New York Tribune, but on
that morning, by mere chance, he had
bought a copy of the World and had
read in 1t the account CT her daughters
marriage. Certain incidents in Z4che-
roff's particularly some adventures
in Egypt-had startled his attention. He
believed that Zacharoff was a swindler,
with whom he had been associated abroad.
and who had persuaded him TO commit a
forgery for which he had been compelled
to escape to America. He had before
and since lived 40 honest life. and, if
Zaoharof was indeed the man, he felt it
his duty TO expose him apc to save the
daughter from misery and shame IF
Z3caroff Vas The man who had tenn pte i
and betrayed him, then her daughter was
not married, for Zacharoff had already a
wife still living in Bristol, England.
A. that moment he saw a photogra ph
of Z4charCff on the mantle and at ouce
idenuf, i 1t. Zacharoff was called and
confronted with his aecuser. He laug he'd
at the story, and, with perfect assurance,
said that the man vas cay; that he had
never seen him before, aud that the state
ment WAS a series of insane lies.
"Very WE'LL" said the stranger. "They
can be easily proved to be true or false.
You can write what | have said to the
Chief of Police in Brist ol aud ask him to
investigate. Here's the woman's address.
You can get an answer by cable within
twelve days"
zAoHARoFF's FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK.
Zscharoff consented to this without
opposition and agreed to live apart from,
his wife during the interval, but on the
tenth day from that he engaged passae
on the Dutch steamer and pursuaded her
to go With him. 1t appeared afterwsrd
that he had consulted with Howe / Hum