The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-18
BARNA, THE HUNGARIAN.
The Strange Character Who IL Looking
For q Bride For q Prince.


For Bride For . Prince.
The letter which Chief of Police Rogers
received, and was published in the Posr-
lNTELLIGENcER yesterday, appears to have
been sent to the police chiefs all over the
country. Regarding Henry Barna, the
hungarian detective who sent out the let
tiers, the New York Sun of March 10
prints the following:
Henry Barna's letter heads gives his business
a. Hungarian detective. They state that his
ONCE is al 2sS East Houston street. Henry HIM
sci! says that he Is gentleman and stole. He
believes in the philosophy OF Socrates and is con-
tent to ind himself in Jail one day and at liberty
to sell handkerchiefs and shoelaces on the Bow
cry the next. He eats like a gentleman when
he has cents, he says. and worries along with
out food when he hasn't. Above all. he claims
the proud distinction OF being an immigrant
with no desire OF becoming an American citi-
zen.
Henry has been in this country three years.
They have been three years of ups and downs,
mostly downs, for his rare young life But the
horizon Is clearing. He has been authorized to
negotiate marriage for q prince OF the imperial
house of Austria, so he says The princes
second man." as Henry calls him, made the
arrangements a week ago, and Henry has since
been busy preparing to carry out his part of the
contract The second man instructed Henry
u
some American girl about % years old, with the
snug little fortune of 100000. He in return
viii give her title and 100000 forms. On
Monday Henry mailed a hundred or more conf
Dental letters to the superintendents OF police
OF the principal cities of the United States. He
offers the superintendent who secures the girl
for the royal marriage a commission of s.. o00
Henry was seen at 2s3 East Houston street by
Sun reporter last night He is a handsome
young fellow of "a years with soft, white hands.
He says that he was born in Buda- Pesth, and
that his father was q banker. He claims to
have been educated in a military academy, and
to have been a second lieutenant in the Aus
trian army. Then he became the editor of a
newspaper for a while, but got the fever to
come to America. He arrived here with big
head and 81, so he says Since he has been here
he has merely existed. He has been fortunate
enough to get arrested several times by mis-
take. he alleges, just when things were begin
ming to grow very dark indeed. Henry speaks
German and French fuently and staggers
through English He spouts the classics and
filings the philosophy of the great philosophers
at one during his conveis ation-
About nine months ago Henry decided to be-
come q detective. He was compelled to peddle
handkerchiefs and shoestrings during the day
time to get enough to live on, and to devote the
evenings to his secret profession. He has been
waiting all that time for Inspector Byines to
call upon him. Last August he went to Jersey
City to look for criminals, aud got arrested him.
self for being a suspicious character. He says
that II he succeeds in getting q bride for the
unknown prince he will be rewarded with q
life position in the imperial house of Austria.
He expects to receive a collection of names in q
day or two, he says when he will visit the
young women in person and make his selec-
ton.
In the meantime he will eat like a gentleman
when ne has Eve cents and worry along without
food when he hasn't, providing the police let
him alone.