New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-02
SPURIOUS NOBILITY.
..1sE COUNTS AND PRINCES WHO DUPE
THE UNwARY-THE UNFORTUNATE
DUKE OF BEAUFORT.

DUKE OF BEAUFORT.
Although the suicide in prison on Wednesday
,.., Of the Lithuanian Jew who Iostured so long
.,a so successfully in Boston as Russian
.count Zubof" although he was even unable to
.neak Russian with any degree OF huency, has
Neen used as the theme for q number or news
naner articles on the ease with which Americans
nernit themselves to be duped by false noble
men. yet people on this side of the Atlantic may
derive some consolation from the knowledge
that on the whole they are infinitely less gull
Me than Europeans, who have assuredly far less
excuse for allowing themselves to be deceived by
means of wrongful assumption of titles. Thus
during the last ten twenty years the number
., swindlers in this country OF the type of the
nseudo Count Zubof hare amounted in round
numbers to about a score; whereas during that
time there have been hundreds who have sue
cessfully played the same game in the Old
World
II is necessary only to cite the well-known
instances of the soi-dsant Count Jaracewski.
dubbed sherry and hiskey," who. after hgur-
ing as the particular friend of the Prince and
Princess of Wales and as frequent guest at
Sandringham committed suicide on being ex-
nosed as former servant dismissed by his
Polish master for theft; Of the equally fictitious
Baron Hoffman, now undergoing penal servi-
tude in Austria who duped not only the Prince
~ Wales but also Crown Prince Rudolph, the
late Duke de Morny Count Herbert Bismarck.
King Alfonso Of Spain. and King Humbert OF
italy. and the Count Andrac." who, after being
duly elected a member of the Cerce de la Rue
Royale and of other leading Partisan clubs. be-
sides acquiring the intimate friendship Of two
such wide-awake men OF the world as the
Prince de Sagan and the Marquis de Breteuil.
was finally recognized one night while engaged
in play as one of the most famous card sharpers
in Europe These instances Will suffice to show
how easily even those people in Europe are de-
ceived who might reasonably be expected to be
safe from any such mistake. having at their
disposal all sorts of means for testing the truth
Of new acQuaintances story concerning hlm-
self Indeed. after careful comparison OF
swindles Of this kind both sides OF the At
lantic one comes to the conclusion that Ameri-
cans are, on the whole. infinitely less credulous
and more shrewd in such matters than the peo-
ple Of the older civilization.
Fraud bv means of the assumption OF title
IS more often successful than any other. owing
70 the weakness which so many people manifest
with regard TO nobiliary distinctions. This Is
weakness prevalent among the middle classes Oh
Europe which extends 10 this country some
,sonla indeed are so fond OF titles and 40 de-
lighted TO be able to make use Of them In I'D
dressing their foreign acquaintance that, far
from being grateful for warning that they are
he;ng duped by mere adventurer. they resent
the Information no matter how strong the
nroors NV which It is supported and prefer to
continue to accord the handle" to their un-
worthy friend after they are perfectly aware
that he has right 10 II.
swINDILNG AN EMPEROR.
At the time Of the Centennial Exposition of
1876. almost simultaneously with the arrival OF
Dom Pedro Of Brazil and his consort. there ap-
peared upon the scene very handsome and dis
tinguished- looking man, who styled himself
Baron Veszy" and declared that he was from
Vienna, and that he had been appointed by En-
peror Francis Joseph TO act Of the dele
gates and commissioners Of the Austro- Hun-
garian Government in Philadelphia. AS the Gre
dentials which ne showed were of the most IN
exceptionable character and bore out all he said,
he naturally received attention in all the hos
pitalities official as we'll private. that
rendered TO the foreign guests Of the United
States The opportunities thus placed within his
reach he utilized 10 himself into ,he good
graces Of the Emperor and Empress Of Brazil
eddy with the imperial party ZEN petit commite"
seated at the right hand Of Her Majesty. and
was finally decorated at her particular request
by Dom Pedro with the Order Of the Rose He
sailed with them for Europe and il was orly
about three weeks later that the news came
from Vienna that the credentials which the
Baron had displayed were nothing more 7 or less
than skilful forgeries. and that he himself was
no nobleman at all. but ex-convict and
swindler OF the most plebeian origin.
Another case somewhat akin TO that Of the
pseudo Count ZubOf that OF Prince Eris-
toff de Courie concerning whose title II is diff
cult speak with any degree Of certainty, see
ing that every Georgian gentleman, like every
Russian country squireen, is termed In English
Prince" Western title which In no way cor
responds to the very ordinary prefix 10 their
names in the Russian and Georgian tongue.
The Prince came over here about eight years
ago. and. thanks TO the kindness OF several
well-known clubmen whose acquaintance he
made on shipboard. received with open
arms by society here, any doubts as 10 the char
acter Of his antecedents being dispelled by the
extraordinary attentions lavished upon him by
the German Minister at Washington, the late
Count Arco, who not only introduced the Prince
everywhere but actually gave number or
luncheons and dinners In his horror HIS name
however. 70 some newspaper men, sounded IN
pleasantly familiar and the examination at the
Astor Library Of some Of the back files OF The
London Times" revealed the fact that the
Prince Eriston in question was the same VINO
had been sentenced in Berlin In 1870 by the
tribunals Of that capital TO two years penal
servtude for swindling tradesmen and hotei
servants; that he had also served term in a
French prison. and that he had likewise passed
through the hands OF the police departments al
Scotland Yard. where his picture figures in the
Rogues Gallery, as it does in those OF Paris ana
Berlin
The discovery and publication OF the Princes