The morning call., 1894-05-13
GIVES GERMANY PLEASURE.
Believed He Will Favor the
Imperial Claim.
EMIN PAsf1A HAD THREE WIVES
That Is as Far as the Census of
Widows Has Yet Been
Taken.

BERLIN, May 12.-The charges of fraud
ulent practices brought against the Amer
lean trotting-horse owner, Robert F.
Kneebes, have been the sensation of the
sporting world during the past week, and
they have naturally aroused great interest
among the members of the American col
ony In this city. The chief witness against
Mr.. Kneebes. who Is one OF the best-known
trotting men in the western part of the
United States, was. strange to say, an
American named Heffner. who accompa-
MED him here as a partner in the trotting
business. KDeebes and Heffner raced the
mare Nellie Kneebes Jointly IN England
up to March %, when they separated in
Berlin. In this city the two horsemen
had dispute about money matters, which
eventually resulted in the explosion whi ch
caused the charges Of fraud against
KDeebes. Heffner was not the only per-
son with whom Kneebes quarreled in
Berlin. On the day following the sever
ance of his amicsb BILE relations with Heff-
ner Kneebes while drinking at the Ameri-
can Bar in this city quarreled with Mr..
Prince Smith, a wel-knOwn owner of
trotting horses. This dispute nearly
ended in a personal encounter between
the two horsemen, but they were separated
by mutual friends. Smith was evidently
very much angersd at certain remarks
made to him by Kneebes, and it seems
Smith was suspicious of the methods of
Kneebes In trottng his horses, for shortly
afterward he commenced an inquiry into
the recent career OF Kneebes upon the
turf and readily obtained from Heffner.
who was also very much against kneebes,
information in regard to the mare Bethel.
which eventually led to the prescription of
the latter.
DR.. Schneider, who is acting counsel for
Mr.. Kneebes. is naturally making the
most of the fact that the chief witness
against his client was formerly the latter'S
partner, and that they were good friends
until they had a dispute in regard to money
matters. Counsel for the accused turfman
also lays great stress upon Heffner's al
legged unreliability. arguing that KneeDes
is the victim of revenge upon the part of
his personal enemies.
During Kneebes' Imprisonment he has
cabled to certain DR.. Hall at Wakefield,
who replied, saying that Bethel was now
on farm in Minnesota. The court, how
ever, wants better proof than this of the
whereabouts Of the mare. The amount of
money which Kneebes is alleged to have
obtained by fraud 80 far as the charges
actually before the court are concerned.
does lot exceed 5000 M al ks; of this amount
2500 marks was paper money given by
the Berlin Trotting Club and $500 marks
by the Ham burg Trotting Club as prizes.
1t is added. however, that there are num-
Der of other alleged victims, who claim TO
have been defrauded out of money in vari-
Gus betting transactions, but as the
amounts are small it is not thought likely
they will take steps to prosecute Kneebes.
News received here from Dresden shows
that the man giving the name of Richard
Dorling, who was arrested there. as cabled
May 8. charged with fraudulent practices.
devoted himself chiefly to fleeing parties
he met at hotels out of small sums OF
money. Dorling, who has travelled under
various aliases, dressed we'll and in the
latest style. pretending 10 some places to
be the husband of the daughter OF one of
the Vanderbilts. At other places Dorling
claimed TO be the son and sOn-iD-law of
William c. Whitney. The prisoner is de-
scribed as being good inguist and of
polite address. He moved in the best So
ciety, intimat that he was authorized TO
find titled husbands for American ladies
Of good families. 1t was the custom of
Dorling to confide this news to prospective
victims in the most delicate and secret
manner, saying he had come especially
from America with the commission to find
manageable men, princes or counts. who