The Grenada gazette., 1889-01-03
aaron MUNCHAUSEN.
fse Life History Of tho Most Accom-
Iltshcd Liar df the Last Century.

fAe life History Of tho Most Accom-
plishcd Liar 81 the Last Century.
Does any one nowadays read Baron
Munchausen, Or has he been quite SUI
perseded by jules Verne and other
modern wonder-workers? I'll 1885 ap.
peared q narrative of "Marvelous
Travels and Campaigns in Russia,
published under the name Of Baron
Munchausen, though its author was
=. r. Raspe, a native OF Cassel. As
the Mupctausens were actually an Old
and powerful family, it is rather sur
prising that Raspc should have adopted
their name, though an ingenious reason
for his doing so has been recently
elaborated.
Before his time there appeared in
Halherstadt handsome, well-dressed
stranger, who called himself Baron
Carl Friedrich Muncilausen. He was
well receired there, and soon married
IN elderly heiress, who considered his
title IN ample exchange for her money.
The Baron told kcr dazzling stories OF
his wealth, although he c5i:fossed that
it was at the time so involved by a law.
suit and slthdry other legal complica-
tions, that he could tiA obtain the use
Of IT, In order to hasten these pro-
ceedings, he proposed going to the
north Of Germany, and they accordingly
we nj 10 Jo-er, near which there was
an estate actually tcl"nging to the
Munchausens, and on this PROPERTY the
Baron .n.ttt'rpted to raise money by
means of mortgages. Neither the ten
ants nor nULarles doubted his tist" 70
the estates, but the more cautious
moiley-ihhders insisted on delay and
further inspection of his claims.
Meantime, tho Baror and his wife
were cordially entertained by The neigh
boring dignitariesr who were neVet
tired of hearing about his HStraordi'
nary adventures He had visited the
Holy Land Greece Egypt Nubia, and
had most remarkable tales to tell OF
the events which befelt tie IN those
countries. One day, however, hewent
too far, and referred to his previous
marriage with daughter of Major.
General Son Werdcr. One Of the ladies
present seened bueh perplexed, and
finally told Munchaussn that she
could not in thei least understand this
statement, as she knew that General
Won Werder's only daughter had mar.
ried a gentleman iniSaxon.I. The Ba.
ron blushed, stammered, aud admitted
that he had manufactured the entire
story.
Strange 10 say, his acquatutnndes
merely laughed d. the occurrence. and
contented themselves with Sailing him
o boaster. As yet they did not dodtt
his pretensions. Suddenly the town
was electrified by tho news that the
Baron's wife had been shot while lying
in her bed. II wis the Baron who
found her, but she was quite dead
when he gave the alarm, aud though
he appeared to be frantic with grief,
he could make no suggestions in re-
gard to the possible murderer. All
tho evidence obtained by the police
pointed to his own guilt, and he was
accordingly arrested. Then there
were found among his papers letters
addressed to Baron Scharrenschild,
aud he confessed under pressure that
this was his true name, and that he
had assumed that OF Munchausen. Al
though it was known that he had an
interest in his wife's death, being
greatly in need of her money, he
would not acknowledge that as the
reason, but declared that he had done
the deed in attempting to shoot a pei
dog which had annoyed him. This
explanation only proved that he was
willing to lie to the last, as neither he
nor the Baroness had such dog.
Application was made to the real
Munchausens for any information they
might have concerning the Baron
Scharrenschi!d, and it came out that
the impostor bearing that name had,
with no recommendation except his
manner and assurances, married and
deserted daughter o. the house. In
l704 the man was executed under the
name of Scharrenschild, but who he
was and whence he really came could
never be discovered. These occur
rences were not soon forgotten in Ger
many, and any man who talked boast
fully of travels, duels or adventures
was said to be another Baron Mum
chausen. The encyclopedias attribute
the origin of the name to the existence
OF roal BARON Mnnchauscn. who was
famous for his large stories; but as he
died in 1897, and must, therefore, have
been living when the book was first
published. the account here given
seems more probable. - Gentlen,an'S
Magazine.
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IA