Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-19
AS COUNT DE LILLE.
WANTED TO GET CHECKS CAsHED.
He Represented Himself ms n Land
and Steamship Agent, aRd Opened
Large Sums.

being Frenchman. and very well-edu-
Gated one, at that, there is not the
shadow of doubt, despite the report
city Jail here awaiting the arrival OF
officers from New York to carry him to
that city, where he says he is perfect
ly willing to go, as he declares he was
In no way connected with the Burden
diamond robbery, which occurred in the
metropolis on December 9th last.
The accusations brought against the
Frenchman here are of trifing nature,
compared with those which he is want
ed to answer In New York. In
coming to this country, where he ar
rived on the 18th OF December, on the
Friesland, ne Is said TO have succeeded
in doing a whole ship-load OF people,
and when he landed he had enough
watches and trinkets in his trunk to
have started jewelry store in the
metropolis. But, while he was thus well
off in the goods of this world, states the
journal, fellow-traveIler, Scopold
had left his native land with quite a
neat sum Of money in his pockets. ar
rived in New York almost penniless. On
ship-board the Frenchman claimed TO be
Count Lucien di Armonde Rivere. He
made himself quite agreeable, his man.
ners being charming. He made the ac-
quaintance of the Countesse Orgies
dlvry, whose valuable gold watch dis
appeared on the trip. Rogge also lost
his timepiece while drinking with the
Count in a cafe in New York. 1t was
only then that he lost confidence in the
Frenchman.
CUT QUITE A FIGURE.
The Count" cut quite a figure in New
York, according to the World. Speaking
of the Counts brief career in the me-
tropolis. that paper says:
The Count went 10 the Broadway Cen
tral Hotel and the Murray-Hnl Hotel.
and, being of fine manners and distin-
guished appearance, he had no trouble in
finding victims all over the city. partcu-
larly among the French residents. Al
though the police did not locate him, he
came to their attention as swindler
under the names of Count de Lignes,
Count Colman d'Montreal, Count d'Out-
ramont, Count Forget. and +. Carton.
when he went TO the Hotel Bruins
wick and took the name of f.. Calmont
he met the Comtesse Orgies d'Ivry once
more, as she was waiting there for her
husband. She saw much of him, and he
is accused of having stolen from her a
very valuable jewelled watch, an heir
loom. Her husband asked the police to
recover 1t, If possible, without publicity.
When the Comtesse was asked If her
watch had been stolen by the fellow
she shrugged her shoulders, and replied:
perhaps; perhaps not. What does it
matter? He was bright end clever"
SAYS HE WAS IN THE SOUTH.
Monsieur de Lignes was seen at the
jail yesterday by a Dispatch reporter
lie denied having anything 20 10 with
the Burden robbery, or coming over on
the Friesland. When asked where he was
December 9th (the night on which the
Burden house was robbed of $1,000 worth
Of diamonds), he said he was either In
New Orleans or in Texas.
When asked TO explain why he had
registered at Murphy's Hotel as Deligne
and at Ferriter's as Carton, and MS
reasons for leaving the former house,
he said that he wanted 10 take the
O'Clock morning train for New York, and
wished TO be near the depot In order
to run no risk OF missing the train. He
ndu ltEiSltItu at ItiilAfl an
assumed name, because he thought II was
a second or third-class hotel. and did
not wish to put his real name on their
books. He did not remember that Gar
ton was the name he used. He said he
was perfectly willing to go to New York,
for he knew no one could charge him
with anything there. If he was at liberty
he would go there Of his own accord, as
he had intended to do.
ONE FRIEND OFFERS AID.
Continuing. Deligne said since coming
to this city he had paid a short visit
TO Mr.. Reinbour Rsmbourg) and had
taken a meal at his house. That gentle
man yesterday called upon him at the
Jail and said that il he could do anything
to help him he would be glad to do So
that he had acted only as a gentleman
should in his relations with him. Mr.
Rheinbour told the Frenchman that ne
had been called upon by Mr. Ferrandini
who also said that he Deligne) had dons
nothing on his place on the Chesapeake
and Ohio 10 arouse his suspicious. De-
ligne denied claiming to any one that he
was a nephew of Forget, the New York
agent OF the Transatlantique Steamship
Line. He had said he knew Mr.. Forget.
He came direct from Florida to this city.
Deligne said he left France in December.
1884 and had travelled all over South
America.
HIS COLLAR WAS SOILED.
While the Dispatch reporter was talk
ing 10 the Frenchman a photographer
sent by a newspaper was admitted and
asked the Count" il he might take a
likeness OF him. Delgne refused. and
the gentleman with the camera did not
have a chance TO tell him to '1ook
plaa ba l..
not suitably dressed TO have his picture
taken. He said his collar was soiled.
and he was unshaved. His caller said
that photographers in this country were
quite obliging and he could be shaved
with little trouble. Monsieur Delgne
however. was not TO be moved. and the
left without having secured
the desired likeness.
HIS STATEMENTS CONTRADICTED.
While Dellgne denies that he ever
claimed 20 be Count that he said that
Mr.. Forget was his uncle, and that he
endeavored TO transact any business with
any parties here as an agent of the Trans
atlantique Steamship Company, the state
ments made by those of his own nation
ality, whom he approached with PROPOSE
tions 10 either buy them bonds for the
company. or secure places for them in its
employment. differ widely from his own.
Mr.. Gus Delarue was the first person
the Frenchman sought when he reached
the city. To him he said that he repre-
sented a French land company. and asked
to be given the names OF French people
who lived here. Mr.. Delarue mentioned
to him probably half dozen. and Deligne
wrote the names down. Among these
was that of Mr.. Ferrandini. the wine mer-
chant, whose place is on the Chesapeake
and Ohio road a few miles from this city.
The next day the Frenchman again called
upon Mr.. Delarue and stated that he had
seen Mr.. Ferrandini. and the latter said
that he wanted to sell his place. Mr.