St. Paul daily globe., 1892-07-03
lie Was Ready to Fight,
but tt Q Other Fellow
Apologized.
The Career Of LIE Roi Des
Grecs, King Of French
Card Sharps.
Blackleg Who Is Not
Ashamed to Pose as a
Titled AriStocrat.

scandals, Which nave created an I'M
mense sensation in the French capital.
The first was caused by an accusation
of unfair play, or, to put the matter
perfectly plain. charge of cheating
made by member of the club against
ex-King Milan, of Servia, during game
of baccarat. in which the latter was
holding the bank.
With regard to ex-King Milan, who
goes by the name of Count Takovo, it
appears that he had been winning four
or five times in succession one after
noon. This called forth the remark
from the young Baron de Veauce, who
was among the players. that this luck
was something rather too phenomenal
to be entirely due TO chance.
Milan Immediately rose from the ta-
BILE, flung down his cards, and declared
= that he should call upon the president
of the club to decide whether the re-
mark which had just been addressed to
him was not sufficient ground for the
immediate expulsion of the man who
had uttered it.
If it were not considered to be so he
would resign. With this the king left
. the club.
hltCl Niidlt uVpol IulC tuClC was
much discussion as to the course which
he was likely to pursue in SO delicate a
matter. The natural outcome of the
incident would be duel, but many
doubted whether it would be possible
for king, though in exile, to send
challenge to a gentleman in private life.
Milan. however, preferred not to
shield himself behind his quasi-royal
prerOgatlVe, such as it is, and that same
evening the Marquis de Breteuil, hus-
band of Miss Garner. of New York, and
brother-in-law of Sir William Gordon
Cumming, accompanied by the Marquis
de Lau, called upon Baron de Veauce
in the kings name and demanded salts
faction.
The baron, who is hot-blooded, i'm
pulsive young fellow barely twenty
three years of age, Immediately ten
dered an apology for his remark. This
prompt reparation had the effect OF dis
arming the wrath of the desperate ex-
monarch. who. being most arrant
coward, was probably only too glad to
escape the necessity of fighting a duel.
Far more serious was the outcome of
theSther scandal. For it has most seri-
ously affected the prestige, the status
and the reputation of the club.
1t appears that for about six or eight
weeks certain Count d'Andrac has
been practically ruling the roast at the
'.Epatant," which is the popular nick
name of this particular club.
He was very handsome and dis
tingue-looking man, about thirty-eight
years. old, irreproachably dressed, pos
sessing the most perfect manners, and
had been duly elected. after being pro-
posed by the Baron de Quivieres and
seconded by NJ. de Grisar.
Both of the'latter have been for many
years members of the Cercle, and gave
their support to the so-disant count in
the belief that he was member of
the old Southern and highly respected
noble house of Andrac.
The bogus count-for he had 10 earth
ly right either to the name or to the title
of the Andracs-began by losing sum
of some $4,000, but thereupon pro-
ceeded to win rapidly, not in very large
sums, but still, at the same time, almost
unlnterruptedly. returning home every
night to his handsomely furnished resi-
dence with his pockets bulging out with
bank notes and checks.
All of & sudden member of the club
who had been spending the winter in
India returned to Paris, and on enter
ing the card room, about O'Clock in
the evening, just at the time when the
baccarat begins, observed the pseudo
Count d'Andrac engaged in holding the
bank.
He Immediately hunted up several of
the members of the house committee.
and to them impaired information that
he recognized in the person holding the
bank the most famous card sharper and
professional swindler of the age.
A quarter of an hour afterward the
latter was on his way down the stair
case into the street, assisted and eX-
pedited by the servants of the establish
ment, who dealt with him in no gentle
manner.
The astonishment and indignation
which ensued on the discovery of the
mans antecedents becoming known at
the club by the remainder of the men,
bers were simply indescribable, rand
soon took the form Of an almost unani-
nous demand for the expulsion or, at
any rate, the enforced resignation of the
bogus counts sponsors.
No one dreams for ore moment. it NAV
be added, that they had the slightest
idea of the identity of their nominee.
But it was felt that some such step was
necessary, in order to warn members of
the responsibility which they incur in
proposing or seconding candidate.
The career of the famous swindler is
of the most extraordinary character.
and his imprudence is almost beyond
belief. Many Americans have been
among his victims. For, during an en-
tire season, he figured at Pau under the
name of Count de Frarqueville, becom-
ing member of the most exclusive club
there and forming lntimacieS with the
most notable visitors and the most prom
inent members of the local aristocracy.
Among those who became his dupes
there was Miss Gamers husband. the
Marquis de Breteui. who used to take a
perfect delight in listening to his witty
conversation and to the unfailing stock
of anecdotes concerning the leading per
sonages in every capital in Europe.
Surprise may be expressed that the
marquis, who is a singularIy shrewd
man, should not have recognized in the
sComte d'Andrac" at the "Epatant''
his quondam friend of Pau, who had
been forced to quit the latter place in
such very abrupt and hurried manner.
But this is easily explained. For tire
card sharper in question is most clever
in Disgusting his features.
Thus at Vichy he appeared in the
guise of an aged and infirm gentleman.
He was wheeled up TO the baccarat
table in a chair by couple of superb
footmen. His hair was white and a
F.. long snowy beard covered his breast.
Apparently he had but a few years
nay, only a few months-to live. and
when he won, which he did almost con-
tinuously and to an enormous extent,
his victims, far from feeling vexed or
annoyed at losing their money, seemed
on the whole glad that the poor old man
should have had this little last pleasure
before lie died.
One of the boidest coups. however,
which he made, was at the Cercle de la
Presse at Paris. One afternoon Jour-
nalist. we'll known in Paris, brought
into the club man whose acquaintance
he had formed at the Cafe Riche, who
claimed to be merchant from the prov
inceA. and who was desirous of meeting
gentlemen belonging to the press. He
was well received at the club, where
play, as usual, was rather high.
Three hours afterward a messenger
suddenly arrived with letter from the
prefecture of the police. addressed to