New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-02

{ his consul II the name and dignity that he bears
are authentic
1t would take too far to enumerate here
the other instances Of the sam kind. such as.
for instance that Of Lord Courtenay" and
Lord Ogilvie." both OF whom were swndlers OF
extraordinary holiness and cleverness Then
too, there is Lord Beresford" now serving a
sentence in Southern penitentiary who has
recently been divorced from the misguided
American girl who induced by his self-as-
sumed title to become his wife The claims Of
/ the so-called Baron" Grtnbaum that ne be-
! longed TO the Austrian aristocracy, OF
ridiculous a character to be unworthy Of
mention; and no account need be taken Of the
ludicrous pretensions of the sef-styled Marquis
de Leuville. who is neither a Frenchman nor a
nobleman but London cockney OF the most
plebeian antecedents. yet Of those bona hde
Frenchmen now In this city who have taken ad-
vantage OF American ignorance about such mat
tiers to adorn themselves with the titles and
names OF old Breton houses Of the nobility which
have been VIGOROUSLY extinct for fifty and even
a hundred years. AS long these titles
not assumed for purposes of fraud there is no
great reason for complaint. and they merely
a subject for laughter and contempt, since they
harm no and please many.
FEW DEFENCES AGAINST PRETENDERs.
The question is frequently asked whether there
Is not some means of controlling this wrongful
assumption of titles and OF ascertaining which OF
the latter are authentic. In reply to this 1t may
be said that in the majority of European coun-
tries the police will not interfere unless the title
is assumed for nefarious purposes-that is to
saw for the purpose of obtaining goods or money
under false pretenses." With regard to the
question OF determining the authenticity Of the
titles that is an affair of the utmost difficulty.
to give the names Of every British subject en-
titled TO prefix a handle TO his or her name have
been compelled to confess this year in print that
there are at least a hundred self-styled baronets
whose titles have no legal status whatever.
In Germany there is a semi-ofiicial 'Taschen-
buch" Of peerage for counts and another for
barons. in addition to the "Almanach de Gotha-"
None Of these books. however are In any way
complete. and they can In no way be recon-
mended as authority, except they do not in
clude the name of any nobleman who is not thor
oughly entitled TO his rank. In Italy there Is a
sort Of Golden Book" or list OF the nobility But
! It is necessarily incomplete, since not only the
Pope and the King each confer titles but the
latter were conferred until recently by a
number Of cities and towns. the Russian million
aire Demidoff owing his title Of Prince OF San
Donate to the city Of Florence. OF the Russian
nobility, and especially OF it's princes there is
official work Of reference which be consulted.
and investigation In this case is rendered all the
more difficult by the hesitation OF the consular
and diplomatic officials OF the Car TO express
any opinion about the status Of any individual
since they are never sure whether the stranger
may not be some emissary or police spy OF their
own Government. possessed of sufficient power
at St. Petersburg injure their chances Of pro-
motion in case they incur his i'll will
DOUBTING THE REAL NOBLEMAN.
Far from being easily duped. one finds. the
contrary Americans so exceedingly wide-awake
and alive to the wiles OF titled swindlers that
cases have even occurred in which noblemen Of
the most unexcepuonable standing and reputa-
ton have been regarded as mposto one Of
the most notable instances Of the kind Is that Of
the Duke of Beaufort. of the most popular
noblemen of Great Britain. who visited this
country in the summer of 1870. He a
guest of the actors Sothern and Florence whose
acquaintance he had made at the London Beef
steak Club. of which he president Tn
fortunately. some wag took ii into his head TO
start the rumor that this of the nOtO-
rious practical jokes which these two actors
were in the habit of playing upon the American
public. The newspapers actually went so far as
/ 10 warn people that Messrs. Sothern and Flor
ence. not satisfied with hoaXng individuals and
audiences were hoaxng the entire American
continent by bringing false Duke Of Beau
fort. who was no other than one Travis, an actor
belonging to the Sadlers Wells Theatre in Lon
don. whom they had hired for the occasion TO I'M
persOnate the Duke.
/ People had become so accustomed TO the Jokes
/ Of SOthern and Florence that they Immediately
/ took alarm. Cold water was thrown upon the
Duke of Beaufort and cold shoulder was
served up to the two comedians when they ar
! rived in America with the real Duke Sothern
and Florence did not treat the matter at all as
| joke. They wrote indignant letters TO the pa
! pers insisting that the person they had with
] 10 a-fid
denouncng the paper which they ascertalned
had given birth to the rumor Their letters
/ however merely served 10 convince the people
more than that His Grace was nothing but
a huge Joke. Wherever the comedians took the
! Duke and introduced him, smile would over
spread the assemblage. ana quiet nudses or
doubt greeted every effort on their part 10 i'm
press the fact that the Duke authentic.
! At last. to get away from the trouble. the trio
resolved leave this country for Canada where
they felt far different reception would await
them But unfortunately the articles Of the
! American papers had been copied by the Mon
treal press and much Indignation was
aroused against the actors and their noble
friend there as the whole affair had created
amusement here. Thus the officers OF the gar
rison stationed at Montreal had organized a
banquet in honor Of the Duke Of Beaufort. who
is Old Guardsman and veteran Of the Grim
can War When they read the papers, however.
they began 20 think that hoax was about II
/ be perpetrated upon them; so they held a meet
ing and determined TO have nothing whatever to
| do with the false" Duke and TO countermand all
arrangements for the banquet. When the Duke,
Sothern and Florence arrived in Montreal they
were merely met by reporters who addressed
the Duke as MI Travis and insisted upon
recognizing him such.
| After this the Duke found further comfort
| In America He wrote long and appealing let
ter TO the leading New-York newspapers. insist
ing that he the guest OF the Nation, and
that an outrage had been perpetrated upon
him The papers copied the crest at the head
of the letter and pronounced ii to be false as
Mr. Travis himself This convinced the Few
remaining doubters that Sothern and Florence
had indeed been trying to play n fresh hoax
This was the last straw, and the Duke. disgust
al bavond measure but still less indignant than |