The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-17
The aal alu Eagle quednesday onino goumber IL 1897

4
In any case, mon cher maitre, receive
and Judge me. Believe in the respectful
devotion Of your admirer.
CSigned) "COMTESSE DE CHALEON.
The playwright, however, refused TO
| see his correspondent, SO Marie changed
| her tactics and turned her attention to
| the world of finance.
In 1895 she presented herself at the
| establishment Of BaronS Robert and
Eugene Oppenheim, the well known Par
isian bankers. onthe charitable pretext
OF asking assistance for one OF her
! friends society woman-who, she said
| was in great distress. She was received
by N. BRAND, the bankers secretary.
to whom after having related her
friends troubles, she gave detailed ac-
count of her own misfortunes.
FAMOUS INHERITANCE.
She said she was the Comtesse de Cha-
leon nee de Novi, and that she would
shortly inherit more than million Of
dollars. Her husband with whom she
had quarrelled, kept refusing TO give his
| signatures, she said, and this delayed
the final settlement, 50 that she was
4 compelled to use up other small re-
sources to meet the demands Of attor-
neys, sheriffs and other people connected
| with the case.
The secretary, like NJ de Chaleon, al
lowed his sympathies TO be enlisted.
After his fifth interview with Marie he
took from NM. Oppenheim's safe the
sum Of $4,000 franc, which he handed
| over to the oountesse, only deducting a
small amount to purchase a strong box
IN which he proposed placing Nine. de
Chaleon's title deeds when the estate
was finally settled
For BRAND believed implicitly in the
fable Of the Inheritance. The Countess"
mad shown him elaborate papers. pre-
pared by herself with such cleverness
and detail that even lawyer might nav
been deceived. NJ BRAND also stipulat-
ed that the "Countesse'' should repay
him 20o,O00f. when she got her money,
and while waiting for that happy day
1t was agreed that he should share the
Countess % roof. In order to do this
BRAND deserted mis- wife and children.
TAKES AN APARTMENT.
The Countess" took an apartment at
No 55 Avenue des Champs Elysees. the
most fashionable thoroughfare in Paris,
! and at once made great florish among
the local tradesmen, who gave her un-
| limited credit. She had many servants
| in gorgeous Hvery-a valet, coachman,
footman. groom, &c.-and impressed all
who came in contact with her as lady
OF the highest degree.
Nearly twenty years had gone by since
| aT-in lnft ob;
! seek adventure in the metropolis. The
homely little country girl had blossomed
| into tall, fair haired, distinguished
looking woman. Not handsome wom-
an, yet having a personal magnetism
| that fascinateS all whom she seeks 70
attract
For a short but brilliant period the
Countess" and M. BRAND lived on a
truly royal scale. Marie's carriages and
| dresses were the talk Of the Bois. But
| the $4,000 frances could not last long at
| that rate and the settlement OF the
| Countess estate seemed further off
than ever. About the time BRAND sent
a telegram to lawyer whom the count
| ess' said had charge of the estate, ask
ing him to hurry up the settlement. The
lawyer testified in court that he did not
answer the dispatch, thinking tne had to
do with a mad man.
THE COUNTESS STRATAGEM.
At last the 10000 francs were all spent,
| and NM .Oppenheim would have to be
informed Of Brands emlbezzlement.
| Marie once more worked her inventive
| genius to extricate herself from this pre-
| dicament. She went herself to MN.
| Oppenheim and said
I learn that NJ. BRAND has robbed you
and that the money he advanced to me
! to pay my expenses while waiting my
inheritance was not his money.
''The unhappy man has deceived me.
and in his zeal to help me did not hesi-
| tate to assure me that he had a private
| fortune Of 100,000f. I,therfore, accepted
| his offer, determined, OF course, to repay
him later. But now I know the truth,
l come to tell you that 1 consider it a
point Of honor to return to you the so,
| 0OOf. that BRAND gave me. You have
I the Countess de Chaleon's word"
Thereupon she showed NM Openheim
the famous papers, and the bankers in
turn, fell into the trap. They had COM
in the countess. They pardoned Bri-
and, and one OF them had SO much con-
fidence in her that he handed her a
package OF bonds worth 1 500, ,000r. to
keep for him in her wardrobe These
bonds the countess restituted later.
One OF the brothers in court explain
ed the reason for their credulity and
interest in the adventures. He said
| the countess was always able to touch
the sympathetic cord. end she made
herself out such an affectionate mother,
so fond of her little ones" that he felt
sure that such a mother could not de-
ceive.
The bankers however. soon saw that
their confidence was misplaced, for Bri-
and, after his pardon, took a further
| sum Of $1,000 francs. This time NM.
Openheim lost patience and took legal
proceedings. A complete expose came.
The countess" papers were shown 10
be as false as her so-called inheritance.
and she was arrested with BRAND and
sent to prison.
EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL.
The trial, which took place at he
Seine Assizes last month, was a senss-
ton such as even Paris, with its myriad
OF sensations. rarely has.
Al the end Of the proceedings there
seemed no d0uo; OF ire result OF the
trial, and the verdict returned by fhe
foreman took the judges breath away.
Not guilty" was MS statement, though
the prisoners counsel had not dared 10
ask for more than a light sentence The
bench was obliged TO abide by the ju-ys
vsHlict, 6u, expressed its judicial opin-
ion by awarding the damages 0. one