The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-10-20
NO FOOL LIKE AN OLD ONE
A CONSUL GENERAL Is ALSO
A FORGER.
To Supply the Wants of an ExtraVa-
giant Mistress the Consul Gen.
eral of Ecuador Steps
From the Paths of.
Rectitude.
Her Hours of Ease.

New York, Oct. 1.-THE police have a
distinguished prisoner at headquarters.
1t IS Deemingo l.. Ruise, consul general
of Ecuador, South America. He has
been arrested on u charge of forgery.
He admits having forged the name of
Gustave Preston, vice consul of Ecua-
dor to two notes for 81 900 each. He
says he gave the money to q woman
whom the police say is his mistress.
Consul General Ruise is seventy-one
years of age. The police say that Fri
day afternoon Vice Consul Preston
called at the headquarters and reported
the forgery. The detectives found Ruise
with Mrs. Bertha Laws, the woman to
whom he gave the money.
Ruise was taken to Jefferson Market
police court to-day. The prisoners son
was present in court with Lawyer Price,
who had been engaged to defend him.
During the brief proceeding before JUS
tice Ryan the fact was disclosed that
Mr.. Ruise, who is in his dOtage, had
been for some time in the hands of a
band of cOnspirators who have fieeced
him out of $4,000, and in their greed
for more money, induced him to endorse
the two 81 900 notes bearing the forged
signatures of Consul Preston. The
principal in the conspiracy which has led
to the downfall of the venerable consul
general is said to be Mrs. Bertha Laws,
his adopted daughter.
The friends of Mr.. Ruiz, say the old
man, has fallen completely under the in-
huence of this woman, and has bllndly
Oteyed her bidding for some years past,
while she lived in luxury at his expense.
He first became acquainted with her
through an advertisement. His wife
was in the country and his daughter in
Europe, and he advertised for Il house,
keeper. Mrs. Laws answered the ad-
vertisement and she was engaged. She
was then known as Miss Bertha krund-
slat of Stockholm. Sweden. She soon
got into the consul generals good graceS
and in q few weeks made him believe
that she was his daughter by a woman
other than his wife. She seemed to re-
joice at her discovery of her long lost
Mr.. Ruiz, who is seventy-One years old
and in his second childhood, finally
adopted Bertha as his daughter. This
led to an estrangement with his wife and
children, and he went to live with the
woman. A short time later Bertha in.
troduced her husband to ''her father"
He was William Laws, bOOkmaker and
general sporting man, who is said to
be now in St. Louis The father" was
delighted that his daughter" had mar
ried so well, and readily forgave her
deception in representing herself as un-
married,
He continued to lavish money ON her
until he lad expended, $4,000, nearly
all he possessed. Bertha needed more
money and the consul general, acting
under her guidance, went to Boston
and called OH Consul Preston. He told
the consul that he needed $4,000 to make
up sum of $4,000 he was obliged to
pay Mr.. Preston did not have that
amount of money at hand, but he cheer
fully gave him his note for $4,000, as
Mr. Ruiz was a friend of his and had
secured his appointment as consul for
Ecuador at Boston. Then Mr.. Ruiz and
Mrs. Laws, who had accompanied him
to Boston, returned here, and she pro-
Ceeded to spend the $1,000. She had in
trOduced him to Simon Epstein, who is
well known to the police here, and he
had advanced cash on the note. But $3,-
900 did not last her long, and in few
weeks she needed more money. AS Mr..
Ruiz did not know where to get any
the conspirators concocted scheme to
raise it, believing that if the truth came
out the consul generals friends would
protect them to save him from disgrace.