The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-08
DUKE AND DUCHESS In COURT
Shameful Plight Of the Wife OF DtAA"
tan "Nobaeman."

Shameful Plight al the WIG %
Tau "Nobieman.
London, Sept THE Duke ana Du-
chess of the Rio Grande were arraigned
in the Marlybone police court this MORN
ing charged with defrauding hotels and
boarding houses. The duke is SAID 10 De
a Brazilian nobieman and the duchess.
II is asserted, is a niece OF ex-Uni,ed
Senator o. D. Conger of Michigan. The
prisoners were brought up in the midst
of a motley assembly of ragged criInln-
ais. They had slept ali night in cells a.
Holloway and showed the effects OF Inc
uncomfortable night they had passed
Nevertheless, the duke rested MS cnin
jauntily on mis- gloved hand. He Is
short, dapper man, with pompadour-cul
hair. pointed beard and waxed mustache.
The duchess is a handsome woman OF
about 80 years of age, with refined Tea
lures Her face was swollen with weep
ing. The duchess said that her father
lived in a village in northern New YORK
and she added that he was an artist and
a member Of the artists board or awards
Of the Chicago exposition.
A hotel keeper and the landladies OF
| two boarding houses confronted the cou-
pie in court today. Mrs. Elizabeth STAN
lev. one Of the iandladies, described heI
experience. She said a lady (the female
prisoneD with an infant and nurse
went TO her house on June %, a. night
and engaged a room, the lady saying hel
! husband was dining at the club. The
husband (he man prisoneD arrived late
and explained that ne had been yacht
| ing and that his baggage was delayed
They stayed at Mrs. Stanley's house un'
| Ill August /, making many excuses wher
asked for money or for an explanatlor
as 10 why their baggage was not forth
coming. Finally, Mrs. Stanley was com
PEELED to have the duke and duches:
expelled from her house. The iandlady
said she felt sorry for the lady, as he
husband neglected her shamefully. While
residing with Mrs. Stanley the duke anC
duchess gave the name Of Monsieur and
Madame Edgar Serge de Mel. the lady
said that her husband was duke anc
a count, that he had a dozen titles am
that some emperor" was about to con
fer anothertitle upon him. This portion
Of the evidence caused the presiding
magistrate 10 remark sarcasticaily "anc
that will make seven titles
| After testimony from other iandladie.
who had failed TO be paid, the defens
! claimed that the prisoners offered secur
| ity in bills, but the magistrate said tina
| IL was a clear case of defrauding III
| hotel and boarding houses, and he re
manded the prisoners for week, offer
| ing 10 release the female prisoner OF
fifty pounds bail, half the amount of thief
charged against the prisoners. The lat
ter were eventually returned to Hollo
way Jail in the Black Maria.
An American VINO refused to give hi
name was present in court today. H
said:
| ct will find bail for the woman. but III
husband may rot in Jail. She is vel
known in Chicago and is woman OF th'
highest talents and character She be
came fascinated with the worthless man
her husband, married him and had per
feet faith in him. I presume ne is
duke. 1 have lived in Brazil and know
that any one can get titles there"
The female prisoner appealed TO tn
United States embassy for protection, OF
the ground that she was an American
but the embassy officials replied that SIT
had forfeited her citizenship by marry
ing a foreigner. The embassy, however
will be represented at the trial The We
man is well known in New York as Mrs
Clara Conger. She married de Mel tier
in 1896. The Brazilian minister says tina
there is no such title as Duke Of Ri
| Grande