San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-10
BEAT HOTELS.
Alleged Duke With an American Wife
Arrested in London.


London, Sept. 10.-The Duke and
Duchess of Rio Grande were arraigned
in the Marylbone police court this
morning charged with defrauding no.
tells and boarding houses. The Duke
is said to be BriZilian nobleman,
and the Duchess, it is asserted, is a
niece of ex-United States Senator
Omar d. Conger, of Michigan. The
prisoners were brought up in the midst
of motley assemblage of ragged Grim
inals. They had slept in cells in
Holloway and showed the effects of
the uncomfortable night they had
passed. Nevertheless the Duke rest
ed his chin jauntily on his gloved hand
hand. He is short, dapper man
with pompadour cut hair, pointed
beard and waxed moustache. The
Duchess is handsome woman, about
so years of age, with refined fea-
turesA Her face was swollen with
weeping. The Duchess said her father
lived in village in northern New
York, and she added that he was an
artist and a member of the Artists
Board of Awards of the Chicago eX-
position.
A hotel keeper and the landlady of
two boarding houses confronted the
couple in court today. Mrs. Elizabeth
Stanley, one of the landladies, describ-
ed her experience. She said a lady,
(the female prisoner,) with an infant
and nurse, went to her house on June
Doth or irht
the lady saying that her husband was
dining at the club. The husband, (the
male prisoner,) arrived late, explain
ed that he had been yachting and that
his baggage was delayed. They
stayed at Mrs. Stanley's house until
August 1, making many excuses when
asked for money or an explanation
as to why their baggage was not forth
coming. Finally Mrs. Stanley was
compelled to have the Duke and Ouch
ess expelled from the house. The
landlady said she felt sorry for the
lady as her husband neglected her
shamefully, while residing with Mrs.
Stanley. The Duke and Duchess
gave the names of Monsieur and
Madame Edgar Serge de Met. The
lady said her husband was duke
and count, that he had half dozen
titles, and that "some emperor" was
about to confer another title on him.
This portion of the evidence caused
the presiding magistrate to remark
sarcastically: And that will make
seven titles"
After testimony from other land
ladies, who had failed to be paid, the
defense claimed that the prisoners Of
fered security in bills, but the magis-
trate said it was a clear case of de-
frauding the hotel and boarding
houses and he remanded the pri-
sOners for a week, offering to release
the female prisoner on ESQ bail, half
the amount of the frauds charged
against the prisoners. The latter We're
returned to Holloway Jail
in the black maria.
An American who refused to give
his name was present in court today.
He said
Il will find bail for the woman, but
the husband may rot in Jail. She is
well known in Chicago and is a wo-
man of the highest talents and char
acter. She became facinated with this
worthless man, her husband, married
him and had perfect faith in him. l
presume he is a duke. / have lived in
Brazil and know that any one can get
titles there"
The female prisoner appealed to the
United States embassy for projection,
on the ground that she was an Ameri-
can, but the embassy replied that she
had forfeited her citizenship by mar
rying a foreigner. The embassy, how
ever, will be represented at the trial.
The woman is well known in New
York as Mrs. Clara Conger. She mar
ried De Melt there in 1896.
The Brazilian minister says there is
no such title as the Duke of Rio
Grande.