The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-27
HISTORIC IMPOSToRS..
SIMILAR FRAUDS NOT POSSIBLE
UNDER MODERN CONDITIONS.
joyed Himself Nightly for Two
Years-Thefts of Jean AymOn.
From the London Standard.

/ favorable on the grand scale. Mere
[ sWindlers We have, as active and at least
as ingenious as in any former age, but
the progress Of science and the decline of
faith unite in destroying the frame of
mind which encouraged the grand impOs-
ters Of old. Such attempts as Arthur
Ortons will always be made from time
to time. but with increasing difficulty.
There are plenty on record.
In 1893 French society was much inter
ested by the temperance Of the COmte
de ST. Helene, a wealthy and agreeable
young man of high family, whose death
in spain had been reported two years be
fore he had not the least trouble in
proving his identity, for every one recOg-
nized him, the royal family included. For
FORMS sake he produced his papers, which
were quite correct. The king. delighted,
gave him "a step" and when he rejoined
his regiment officers and men recognized
him unanimously. This was a stronger
case than Orton's therefore; we find no
mention Of the comtes relatives, but it
must be supposed that they did not OBJ
ject. For two years he enjoyed himself
nightly At the end of that time. when
parading with his squadron at some court
. ceremony a drunken loafer greeted the
nard'-he would not be sHenced, and the
police arrested him.
on recovering his senses he persisted
that the Comte de ST. Helene was his old
comrade of the hulks; in brief, so it prov
ca, atter a sensational trial the hero was
condemned to the galleys for life, and died
at IOulon sixteen years later. But such
impostures are mean beside the grand
school of antiquity. Read the amazing tale
Of Alexander the Pahplagonian, or that
OF Peregrinus, which Christian antigua
rams have not ceased to discuss-bOth told
with spirit inimtable by Lucian. The ca
reer OF the Comte de st. German is mys-
teriously interesting even yet 1t is not TO
be hoped that the world will see again
such wOndrous humbug as George Psal-
maneser, who actually invented Ian
guage and grammar TO support his ficti-
uous adventures in FormOsa. The talent
could be found, no doubt, and the impu-
dence, but science would nip the enter
prise in the bud.
name of evil celebrity among Bibli-
ophiles is that of Jean Aymon. He was a
very able man, of course, a fine scholar,
and in early years perhaps a devout Ro-
him prothonotary, one Of those Offices of
which the title Is a household word to
most of us, but comprehended by few. IN
the night OF his favor, TOR reason un-
known-prObably unedifyng-Aymon He'd
TO Switzerland and became a Protestant.
There also he made an excellent position
deserted it and went to Holland. a rich
and pious widow fell in love with him, his
eloquent preaching charmed the Dutch,
and for some years wealth ana fashion
kept him quiet suddenly he declared ms
intention of visiting COpstantinople upon
mysterious business which would bring
great advantage TO the Christlan latin;
when his admiring friends left him, how
ever, he went to Paris. There this eXtraOr-
binary man presented himself to NJ. Glenn
ent, keeper Of the BibliOtheque Du ROl
processing such remOrsc for his apostasy
that Clement was persuaded to introduce
him to the Cardinal Archbishop OF Paris.
That dignitary, overjoycd to recover such
a 2 retreat
for six months, but he allowed Aymon to
pass the time in the royal library.
Before the six months expired, however
he was back in Holland with number
of large and heavy boxes, and there, in
no long time, he announced the pubhca-
ton of various works profoundly inter-
estng to scholars and the0lOgians. Among
them was to be q transcript or the pro-
ceedings of the last council Of Jerusalem,
of which the only man script known lay
in the BibliOtheque du Roi. The hapless
Clement saw the advertisement, and rush
ed to his shelves-his manuscript was
gone. There was no catalogue OF the IL
brary. What Aymon took will never be
known. But he had foraged at will among
the unique and priceless treasures which
were the glory Of the collection. Fourteen
sheets, even. had he torn from the Bible
of st. Denys itself-these were recovered
from the Baron Won Stocks years after
ward; thirty-hve sheets from the seventh
century manuscript of the Pauline Epis-
| tles-Earl Middleton returned thirty-four
of them in the end; the last has never
been heard of. Volumes of secret dis
patches, confidential letters from pOpes
and kings, antique manuscripts and rec
ords-the sagacious and erudite AymOn
had patiently oVerhauled the lot and APP
prOpriated the most valuable. For a CEN
tury the officials Of the Biblotheque, sup
ported by the government, We're negOtlat-
ing. intriguing and threatening to recover
such lost treasures as they could identi-
4 fy from the persons to whom he sold them.
The thief, meanwhile, lived in high con-
sderation at Amsterdam and died in the
odor of sanctity. The Dutch government
would not be persuaded nor coerced to
proceed against him, and his congregation
| never lost faith.
An instance of another sort well worth
| recalling is told in the Annals of Lord
| Elgins Mission to China" Some weeks
! after the taking of Canton native mer-
| chants brought a proclamation TO his
| lordship asking whether it were author
| lied. The document was most imposing,
| printed on official paper signed and coun-
! tersigned and sealed. 1t read, in Chi
/ nese: Whereas, the British feet is now
1 stationed from Shakok 10 Shakmum, il is
| thereby ordered that, in return for pro-
! lection against lawless persons who would
| cut grain without authority, TWO mace
/ per acre shall be paid into the British
| Office at Ning-i-Tong (The Hall of Peace
and Patriotism). at Nitong, to which ali
| cultiVa tors are directed to repair on Oct
| 30, or the two following days, with money
| in hand" On due payment they would
| receive license under seal, (which VIII
| be recognized all over the EARTH" Any
| cultiVator who presumes to cut his grain
| without such license would be seized
| forthwith by the vessels of the Ning-i-
/ Tong of Great Britain and carried 20
| the said hall, there TO be punished for
contempt and lose the whole of his
| property besides. Rice junks must be reg
| istered without a moments delay, their
! papers vised and Endorsed. The procla-
| nation, in fact, was a masterpiece OF
business-like drafting.
1t did not come to the knowledge of
! the British authorities until Nov. l. and
for two days money had been pouring
into the hall of peace and patriotism.
When Mr. Wade hurried to the spot he
found a crowd struggling for admission.
Six persons of the most dignifed appear
ance sat at a table. They were arrested,
but somehow only one could be proved
guilty-the compadre who had supplied
her majestys ships with provisions. The
story reminds us of a certain Able Ge-
race, who played tricks almost as bold
when the French were occupying Gala
bria in HOS. The able, jovial little man,
much like a bali in figure, made himself
a great favOrite with the officers and then
volunteered TO clear the province of bri-
gands if entrusted with a sufficient force.
Gen. Parthouneaux gave him four COM
panies of chasseurs, with whom he
secured the country, and on several oc-
casions surprised a brigand camp in the
most satisfactory manner. The able was
disguised in uniform, but every morning
he resumed his clerical attire and rode