The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-17
THE CAREER OF A SCAMP.
EUGENE MITKIEgICz. a BoGUs COUNT
AND Az sDYEN1URER ON THREE
COMMENTS.

. =
Thief In Paris. Jailed In London-How
re Deceived = iou~e HeIress-shndy
Transactions In Several t,ties-Prepo--
terou, Slaiss On Concessions IN China
Intrleaes that Embarrassed tho Chinese
Observation-Disclosures with Col. shepard.
Tho story Of tho lifo OF Eugene Mltkiewicz.
a native OF Poland. Russia. strongly confirms
che saying that truth Is stranger than lo-
ton" As n character in a book. Mitke-
vicz would be pronounced Impossible BY the
majority OF mankind. They would not bo-
levo that such person could exist In real
lfe For nearly thirty ycars ho has been be-
foro tho public In ono way or another. He has
beon arrested many times In this country for
theft. but has always managed to elude con.
viction but In England the records show that
he was not so fortunate. He was arrested in
ireland for thoft. tried In London. convicted.
and sentenced to u term Of i've years ut hard
lAbor In prison.
Mitkicwicz claims to be count. His cards
are engraved Count Eugene Mitkiewicz."
but no has no earthly claim to that title. He
10 suave talker. and. although he has been
exposed frequently IN tho public prints. he
still holds w his head end associates socially
with men like Col. Elliott I. Shepard. who
take stock IN him. In this account OF Miikis-
wicz's career nothing has been invented to
add spice to tho narration. Only such facts
as are uscenttblo Of proof are herein set forth.
Mitkiewicz was born 10 Warsaw. Poland
about forty. eight years ago. His parents were
plain pcoplc aud poor: his father at one tim
hold tho position o! Postmaster In Warsaw
Ho was ono OF II largo family. and he struck
out early In lilo to seek HE fortune. That was
conmendnhie enough. but tho methods ho
sdcpted to snin wealth would not have tho mp
rrovnl OF honest men. His capital stock was
plenty OF assrrancc. a certain amount Of ma
tive shrewdness. and moro than the average
ability. He Ii OF tho blond type. IL below the
medium height. has n slight figure. AN! will
not weigh moro than 1:sO pounds. His face is
small. and docs not Indicate much force of
character. Blond slLe whiskcrs and q One
silky moustache rather improve his otherwise
efYsminate appearance. His eyes are blue.
end they look anywhere except in tho face Of
the person he Is talking to. He speaks fairly
good English but there Is q marked trace OF
foreign accent In his conversation. He does
not look his ags within Ave or six years.
Mitkiewicz was heard Of first In England in
1862. He was about II years OF age then. and
It seems that he commenced his career Of
crime at that time He defraudod several per-
sons at Plymouth. Devon. but no proceedings
were taken against him there. Ho was mr.
rested subsequently at Barnstaple. Devon. for
obtaining jewelry by fraud in June. 1853. He
was dischargedf from arrest at Barnstaple. but
apparently only on condition that he leave
the country. which fact probably accounts for
his coming to the United States Just at that
time. When he came to New York In the
autumn Of 1853. he was pale-iaced youth OF
ID He won't to the Fifth Avenue Hotel and
registered as Count Eugene Mitkiewicz" Of
st. Petersburg. Russin. For n season the al
legged oouat led gay life. He dressed in tho
height OF fashion. hal plenty OF money appar-
emily. and gained an entrance into the exclu-
sive social circle ofthat day. He limited at vast
estates In Russia that would be his on his ma
jority. He represented that he was travelling
for pleasure: that his father desired him to
800 the world as a part OF htseducatlon-
THE CASE OF DIAMOND RING.
His funds must have run short at that time.
for he was accused soon afterward Of havin.
stolen diamond ring from young lady. He
borrowed the ring. SO tho story goes. playfuily
slipped 1t on his finger. and then discovered
that he could not get II OIL He sold the dia-
mond subsequently and returned q paste stone
In its place. He WAS indicted for grand lar
ceny by the Grand Jury on Dec. 10. 1868. and
the indictment Is open against him now. This
Is tho complaint in that action:
SECOND DISTRICT POLICE COURT. JEFFERSON
MARKET.-GRAND LARCENY.
os sss 3 y ,.,.., :, ,u
ssS
Ms,S.".sI ws,s j.; Il l.ps.s".: sh.:xs:
ponsn. possesson from .eponent while III The !aror
81 81. saa.. an. e.. 's h s
ssia nrtiee wa. 10 taken and stolen by Com
pssssn, na ri nas fact
"a S,p ,ca:ss t5.s s d M =
"A E:,r : :'Gss:ss ; "s;
:es. e +: Az ~ y :sa ES, h.ia psp"asns
81: J1 III
t.tn. q: ,i ri .iSp Dsisnasn
RicH'p E,LLr. Polio. Justice.
This Is tho accompanying affidavit:
SECOND DIsTRIcr POLICE COURT.
State o. New York. ,u:
fhiar Rem u q tho mn xv.nu. Hotel being drl,
81 ssR.. IAN, and .,y; tia. g.. On ths ~. n
sSSssny g Ssw ~. H", he EIssn
: sum. Of ~: hSndf:i d",T. cash on: soa Ssis Ara
,asns one , ..affi" anu ."n, 1pn "rs.;e. 2,
81 D
!ns Was frsquohtly ~ deronshrs store. and that lie.
he!9x xns..i SAID hotel tnis deponsnt nr:.ansd he
sad r,nl Was the property OF said detsnGan! ~ the
ring WAS prGsentsd 10 him from . Counte>a
sworn to before me this Goth Now. ls63-
kicnARD KELLY. Police Justice
Mitkiewicz pleaded not guilty and was IN.
doted subsequently. An effort was made to
get Mitkiewicz out OF the Tombs on writ Of
oertiorari. Justice Sutherland issued writ
on Nov. 2S. 1888. returnabie before Justice
George g. Barnard OF the Supreme Court on
DEC. 4. 1853 Howe and Whitmoro were Nit
kiewlcz's attorneys. On Dec. 4 Justice Bar
nard dismissed the writ and Mitkiewicz was
committed to the Tombs for trial. 10 was ad-
mtted to bail subsequently,. solomon l.. Ger
nit. professional boudsman. furnishing
$1,000 bnil. He WAS released on tho condition
that he enlist In tho Union army. He did en-
list. and 1t Is believed that he des ,rted after
receiving his bounty for enlistment.
TIE MYSTERY OF wATcu
The military career o! Mitkiowicz must hn ve
been very brief. for on July .. 1864 u dancing
feto was givon to tho vito Of the Colonel OF the
first New Jersey Cavalry then stationed In