New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-31
IN THE POWER OF USURERS.
COUNT KAROLYrS SEARCH FOR HIS PROD
IGAL SON-THE MALTA IN PARAGUAY.
Vienna. Nav

| full and wealthy members OF the old Hungarian
I aristocracy has lust returned here from the
| United States. without having succeeded in his
mission. The object of his journey across the
Atlantic was to recover his son. the young Count
| George, who landed in Boston last autumn accom-
panied by an actress named Boriska Frank. the
! star of one of the fourth-rate theatres of Buda
| Pesth. According to the statements OF the old
| Count. the woman is considerably older than his
son, and forms part of gang of Vienna usurers.
whose sole object is TO exploit the family of the
Young man The latter has been in their power
for more than wear. and il was only when. toward
| the end of last summer. he was on the point of
making full confession to his father of his
troubles and of appealing to him to save him from
their clutches. that the gang. fearing to lose
their prev. caused Boriska to induce him to elope
with Ter to America.
| AS soon as the Count became aware Of his sons
fight. he made inquiries at Vienna and at Pesth
which brought to light the entire conspiracy. and
| at once set to work TO get into communication
with the lad for the rurposc Of warning him Of
| his peril. With this object in view he dispatched
| a letter to the Austro- Hungarian Legation at
| Washington containing the following message for
| his son.
"That YOU should have fed from home I can
| understand. / did the same thing when / was
your age. with the difference that the object of
my flight was to iGin our army the battlefield
I am only sorrI that you should have panied your
mother and sister Sc deeply Take care of your
health. With open arms you are awaited by your
affectonete father"
Although copies OF this message were forwarded
to each of the Austrian consulates in the State yet
owing to the articles of the gang. who were deter
mined at all costs to prevent reconciliation. it
IL failed oh voun0 Count In order IN dis
courage them. the father in January published an
announcement to the effect that he would decline
to pay any debts contracted by his son. In Feb
ruary he received the news that his son had
married the actress and he Immediately set out for
the United States. attended by suite Of some
dozen retainers. including doctor and secretary
On reaching New-York. the Count began a search
for his son. visiting. in turn. Boston, Philadelphia
Washington, Chicago, San Francisco. Baltimore
Atlanta and New-Orleans. At the latter place.
all traces of the couple were lost. and
it is unknown whether they have betaken them
selves to Mexico or to Australia. The Count has
accordingly returned home, stopping on his way
in London, where he invoked the influence of his
former guest, the Prince of Wales, with the Aus
tralian authorities, through whom he hopes to be
able to communicate with his son. The old
Count declares that the marriage which the young
man contracted in America is illegal, inasmuch
as both the bride and bridegroom made false
declarations on the registry to age, name and
parenta9e He likewise expresses regret THAI
he should have taken so large number of at
tendants with him TO the United States, since it
enabled the persons interested to keep the father
and apart, by persuading the young Count
that his father proposed to use violent measures
to force him to return to Austria. This was all
the more easy as the young man is subject to
military service, and as such liable to arrest
on his return to Austria for having left the
Empire without leave.
The object of the gang in keeping father and
son apart will be more easily appreciated when
it is stated that the young Count is an only son,
and as such, legally entitled on the death Of his
father. to at least one half of the latters vast
fortune. According to the Hungarian laws he
cannot be dsinherited, and is, therefore, being
persuaded to discount his future inheritance at
ruinous rate, by the gang. The latter keep the
young Count supplied with moderate amount
of money, in return for which he is signing away
to them his rights of inheritance 10 some of the
finest and most extensive estates in Hungary.
1t may be added that the old Count complains
bitterly of the ineflicacy and also of the extor-
tionate methods of American police--though,
whether he refers to the regular forces or to some
private detective agencies it is impossible to say
In conversation yesterday an old Austrian diplo-
mat alluded to the singular attitude of the Italian
Consul at New-Orleans in connection with the
Malta recalled to mind a peculiar incident which
occurred some time ago in South America, while
he was stationed there, which proves conclusively
that the Italian diplomatic and Consular repre-
sentatives abroad are called upon TO give salts
faction not only to their Foreign once az Rome,
but also TO a number of secret societies, and
notably TO the Can0rra and TO the Mana
In the closing years OF President Lopezs
reign of terror In Paraguay, the Itahan
interests were represented at Asuncion by Consul
General of the name Of Chaperone. The
latter, while secretly In thorough accord with the
bloodthirsty tyrant, protested the most profound
sympathy for the oppressed and stricken Para
Guayans The latter were completely taken in
By his protestations, and so thoroughly did they
believe in him that the wealthiest citizens ID
trusted to his keeping all their treasures feeling
convinced that the inviOabllity and the extra
territorial privileges possessed by the Italian lie
CATION would secure their property from all danger
Of having il cOnscated by Lopez. NO sooner,
however, had they deposited their treasures IN
the keeping of the Italian Consul-General than
the latter would hasten TO secretly communicate
10 President Lopez, who would proceed TO arrest
the too.confiding depositors with their whole
families and TO have them shot on charge OF
treason. The COnsul-General thereupOn shared
the treasure coniided TO his keeping, with the
President. When the latter, however, entered
upon the campaign against Brazil which resulted
in his death the field of battle. Consul-Gen:
eral Chaperone perceived that the moment had
arrived to leave Paraguay with his treasure Ac-
cordingly he betook himself 10 Buenos AEres to
await the first steamship leaving for Europe
At Buenos AyTes as at New-Oreans and YORK,
there is Il large Italian colony, almost every mem
Der of which is either affiliated with the Malta
subject to its DEGREES On Consul General
ChaperOne's presence becoming known, the matter
was brought before a meeting Of the leaders OF
the Mafa and it decided TO kill him as
punishment for his misdeeds and for his treachery
Accordingly few evenings later, the Consul
General accosted just after dusk in the street
by two of his countrymen. one of whom raised
the diplomats left in the air, while the
other quick as n flash, plunged long and gleam-
ing stiletto into his heart up to the hilt The
latter bore the following engraved inscription
Thus perish all those who dishonor the name
of Italy"
All efforts on the part of the police to discover
the perpetrators Of the murder were fruitless; so
too, were the attempts TO recover his ll-gotten !
wealth. which is popularity believed TO have been |
secured and appropriated by the self-proclaimed |
avengers of the honor of Italy.