, 1891-01-21

AAA0 OOOA oAAOolSu diLl GIl6fSSU UQQST SACt D.
tlonally interesting circumstances One day
last week two detectives became aware Of a
couple of persons who were hanging about
one of the platforms at Waterloo Station,
Presently the officers saw the two men
joined by a third-thps completing the usual
complement OF 'front-stall, back stall. and
ugiyman' required, according to the techuics
OF felony, toscarry out n street robbery in q
proper and workmaulika manner-and the
trio proceeded to hustle an elderly gentle
man. and try to rob him Of his watch, an
attempt in which they Very nearly succeed,
ed. They We're promptly taken in,o custody,
and conveyed to tn station and, on Coonar
being searched, a bankers deposit note for
forty pounds was found upon him. together
with a number Of documents showing that
he was the owner of a considerable amount
OF freehold house property in the North of
London. Cooper and his companions weya
also IN possession Of several cheques ana
samples Of those precious aids to deception
ant fraud, the notes Of the "B 4nk-of EIgrav.
ing They had tutthoy an assortment of
sNacially-prepared cards Tor working die
no-aole swindle tog tn three card tgick."
1-rwAen tue first and second examinations
@ -heso scanps at Southv& ak the police hll.
time TO work out the case against .I1m. sad
especially 20 maks the fe1ca5t lie.5 Vi. die
detective 3UlIsoye beat OF Mr.. Is llialn
Cooper, VINO appears not only to have been
:ho loss OF This and Other gangs OF ca,d
sharPor1 and D.ckpoekets. out to have been
the capitalist who supplied tha funds ne.
cee 2rY 10 procure legal assistance for any
OF IA lambs who happened 20 bo I'm
trouble" In addition TO a conviction for
cGrd-ahapin9 he had .'aone time on two
occasions, once for twelve and once for
eighteen months for horse stealing. Accord,
ing to q detective attached to the London
and 1Ilbury . Railway, the ent"rprising
Cooper's gang had, in the course of four
months, f9eced passengers on the line 10 the
extent OF eight hundred pounds. 1t is
alleged that Cooper Is the most accomplish,
ed performer of the three-card trick in the
Metropolis, and that his ackno" lodged SUI
premacy in this delicate and apparently
fascinating art led to there being an active
competition among the different fraternities
OF card-sharps as to which gang should Sc
cure the services Of Mr.. Cooper, who was
frequently allowed to appropriate fifty per
cent. of the profits realised by the gang
for whom this expert in swindiing copdes-
cended to work"
Her Royal Highress the Princess Beatrice
has translated "The Adventures of Count
George Albert of Erbacl' from the original
German compilation by Emil Kraus with q
graceful and forcible simplicity of style that
lends peculiar charm to a. work in itself
replete With thrilling incident and interest.
ing descriptive matter. The hero Of the
true story" presented to the English pub
lie under such exalted auspices was o direct
ancestor of the present Count OF Erbach,
whose consort is the only sister of Prince
Henry of Battenburg and the narrative
now published by Mr.. John Murray has been
s~kilfnlly constructed from materials furnish
cd by the archives Of the Erbach family.
Early IN the seventeenth century Count
George Albert, the youngest of his futLer'a
two-&nd twenty children. started on hja
travels from Strasbprg, where be hli re.
celyed a LIBERAL education. visited Paris and
Cno chief Giles Of Central France, as well az
Rome and Naples, and was subsequently
induced to undertake an expedition to Ialta,
then the headquarters of tie Order Of St.
John of Jerusalem. There he vas sp,enlidiy
entertained by the Gland Master, and was
present at & iryestitpre Of newly created
Knights, the details Of which impressive ce-
remony are rec"nnted with striking ability,
On his return voyage the frigate In which
he and his companions, German gentlemen
of rank, had embarked was attacked by
Barhary %corsairs, and captured after a des-
perate resistance, in which the young Count
conducted himself with signal valour. The