The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-03-10

po certain congeniality of character
which convinced her that the part
nership would be lucrative one for
both. And so the ambitious Lorenza
became the wife Beppo Maldetto
No longer Beppo Maldetto, now.
however, but thereafter to be known
to the world as Count Cagliostro, one
of the most successful impostors of
whom history gives any record. Un-
der the high-sounding title of Count
Cagliostro and the Countess Seraphi-
na, this precious couple dawned one
day upon the community of Stras-
burgh. Spiritualism had not then as
sumed the materia', matter Cf course
| character now belonging to it, and the
doings of the celebrated medium
Hume, in conjuring up spirits, are
but tame and uninteresting compared
to the feats in that line of Cagliostro
and his spouse. No less person than
Cardinal de Rohan, bishop of Stras-
burgh, was taken in by them. and
through the influence of that prelate
| the pair soon established themselves
at Paris, with letters of introduction
to the first society. Here Cagliostro
| created an immense sensation with
his lannon's Temple Of Egyptian Ma
sonry." People of the highest rank
and position crowded his salon uight-
ly, to witness the miracles performed
by him through the rites of this pre-
tended institution. A feature of the
mystic ceremonies was the introduc-
ton of a young girl, who, gazing up
on vase filled with water, professed
to see reflected therein events passing
at distance, as well as the future
circumstances and fates of those who
eagerly sought to he thus instructed
of their hereafter. A widely extend
ed system of completely enabled Ca
gliostro to make some fortunate ''nits"
in his revelations, and, among the
ablest of his accomplices was the in
famous Countess cs la Note, vino
then exercised much underhand infu-
ence at the court of Louis XVI.
But the branch of his business
which paid best at that time was that
established by the fascinating Coun-
tess Seraphina, his wife, who profess
ed to have discovered the wondrous
elixir by which the wrinkles of age
can be set at defiance, and the bloom
of youth secured to the latest period
accorded to human life. Seraphina,
who was twenty-five, and possessed
of remarkable beauty. gave out that
she was long past sixty years of age,
and would have been old and ugly
but for the magic elixir. The sale
of this compound soon became i'm
mense.
And now the Count Cagliostro had
reached the zenith of his fame Prin-
ces feasted him; Processes smiled up
on him; and his equipages and estab-
lishments dazzled all Paris with their
splendor. As mere charlatan, or
mounteback, he might yet have Con-
tinued for some time to levy subsidies
upon the Golfers of the credulous rich:
hut an irresistible penchant for the
more vulgar forms of swindling drove
him upon his fate. He became i'm
piicated with Madame de la Motto in
the famous dlamond-necklace affair.
De la Motto hated the queen, Marie
Antoinette, and loved money. De la
Motto, aided by Cagliostro, played a
trick upon certain jeweler, whereby,
in the name of the queen and the
Prince de Gohan, the jeweler was
swindled out of necklace of immense
value. With the money thus obtain
ed De la Motto fled to England, and
it was with difficulty the hapless
Marie Antoinette cleared herself from
the imputation of being connected
with the swindle Cagiiostro, fallen
from the Temple of Egyptian Ma
sonry' to the common gaol, was tried
for his share in the business, and
banished from the country. Never
theless, he continued his career else
where, and the vicissitudes experierc
en- by him, and the various means to
which he had recourse when "played
| OUT would make a remarkable book,
were they all faithfully recorded
Reduced to the position of small
Snowman, he was once travelling
through sequestered part of Eng
land in covered wagon, when he
saw farmer like man sitting by the
roadside, wringing his hands and
moaning, as if in great distress. On
being questioned, the wayfarer stated
that he was upon his return home
from a market town where he had
| sold some cattle, when he was at
| tackled and robbed by a couple of
footpads, who eased him of the pro
| ceeds of the sale-some fifty guiueas,
| which he carried with him in a wal
let. Here flashed upon the fertile
| mind of Caglicstro chance for rails
| ing the wind. Ascertaining the di-
rection taken by the thieves, who had
been gone but few minutes, he told
the farmer to be of good cheer. bade
him take charge of the Wagon, aud
said that he would recover his money
| and soon return with it. He then
produced from a box in the wagon a
full suit of demon costume, including
a mask with horns, like goats bead.
Investing himself in this fearful garb,
lie threw himself upon the track of
the thieves, with whom he soon came
! up in copse, where they were count
ing the fermer's guineas. As the
frightful aIpa'ition appeared before
them, they star led to their feet in
terror, and ran away as fast as their
legs would carry taem, leaving their