The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-12
A MYSTERIOUS PLAYER.
SAID TO BE sYsTEMATICALLY At
WORK AT MONTE CARLOS.
Her Purpose Is to Break the Bank
She May he the Countess de Ker-
Vile, a Brilliant Woman of Paris,
Brazil and New York.

she May lie the Countess de ker-
willie, a Brilliant Woman of Paris,
Brazil and New York.
Victor Smith, in the Criterion.
Who iss"A dc K?"
The woman who IS said to be breaking
the bank at Monte Carlo is probably
Madame Ia Comtesse de Kerville, one Cf
the most remarkable daughters Of France.
In 1868 Napoleon Ie Petit on a visit to
Nice. attempted TO force his way into her
apartment She despised him ever after,
but willingly yielded up her great fortune
to her country in the war with Prussia.
and took the field as a physician and sur
geon. An only daughter of one of TIE
noblest houses of the empire. she was
brought up in the seclusion of a convent,
highly educated and learned in the arts
and sciences. Her fame In medicine and
philanthropy was known to the rank oEd
file of the army Sedan broke her heart.
Seven brothers were killed in that battle.
Her father and mother were dead, ard
bereft of family. with her fortune diss-
pated by the imperial master of silver
stewpans, she went TO Brazil in October,
1870. to visit her uncle. Dom Pedro II, VINO
having just wound up a successful war
with Paraguay, was at the hight of lis
power
In the country of the Upper Amazon
Madame Ia Comtesse owned million acres
of virgin forest, and in the heart of mat
vast possession she roughed it in man
attire, her relinue consisting of score
of wild Brazilians.
Her skill in the chase was phenomenal.
AS a marksman France never produced
her superior She could shoot with her
revolver at twenty PAGES the spots OF a
five of hearts, one after the other, and
place the sixth bullet on top of the one in
the center. Once, being chased by
sucuriuba upward of thirty feet in length,
she saved herself and her horse by turn
ing in the saddle. which she rode man
fashion, and putting a ball through the
constructors head.
Occasional trips were made to Rio de
Janeiro, where she established herself for
a month or two at a time in the palace Of
the Emperor, greatly to the delight of his
scientific and artistic soul, and much 10
the relief of the Empress, who turned
over to her the social duties of the court.
Nothing afforded her imperial highness
more pleasure than the discontinue of
stranger guests who mistook Madame la
Comtesse for her royal self
A splendid creature, five feet ten and a
half inches in her bare feet was the
Countess at that time-a Juno with Titan
hair and marble skin. Her weight was 100
pounds, and her agility equal to Charm
ions. At this day, when her years num-
Der nearly 50, to kick the shades off a
chandelier at seven and half feet is but
a slight evidence of her acrobatic skill
and she not infrequently INDUCES in such
recreation to keep her rheumatism in SUBJ
lection.
When strictly 'at home" to herself and
mot at home" TO the rest of the world
Mime. la Comtesse wears neither shoes nor
stockings a habit acquired in Brazil, where
the fine ladies go barefooted in the privacy
of the boudOir. ! had known her a year
before making the startling discovery, and
then, in the presence of Nine. Bregny and
her clever daughter, impudently demand-
ed press view. With many a smile and
without blush she poked out her feet
which were as pretty as rosebuds. They
were exquisitely pedicured, and ribbons
matching the color of her lingerie were
intertwined among her perfect toes. cross
ed over the aristocratic instep and knot
ted around the most ravishing ankle in
the world. On each toe was a ring, from
the instep a solitaire flashed, and a $4,000
brooch ciasped each ankle
Nine. la Comtesse remained in New
York brief season, recovering from an
attack of the grip, which changed her hair
to ten colors and caused the loss of sew
eral teeth Her constant companion was
her youngest brother who had been dead
more than twenty years. She conversed
with him on all subjects day and night.
and healed the sick and lame by the Law
ing on of hands
One of her miracles attracted attention
here. woman who had used crutches
for thirty years cast them aside at the
Countess touch and walked home without
assistance
One day Madame la Comtesse sent for
me in great haste, saying that, in a dream.
her brother had the previous night given
to her the secret of how to break the
bank al Monte Carlo
All that remained was to make a prac-
teal test OF the plan and that being sue
cessful to organize a syndicate with suf-
ficient capital to invade Monaco. Mystic
rious columns of figures were exhibited.
The necessary six packs of cards were
secured; mother of pearl chips. represent
ing various denominations of French
mouey-centime, decline, franc, louis etc
were already in the posse ssion Of the
Countess; green-covered table, with the
rouge ct noir." stood in the center of the
room awaiting operations.
For three months we played. the Count
and quitting at D. / was the tallieur she
the punter. besides being her own croupfar.
Whenever she made a play there was some
close figuring to determine whether il
should be ON the red or black. There was
never a question of amount. The limit of
the bank at Monte Carlo being 12,OO0
francs il was her purpose to lose steadily
until that sum was al stake. when the
system taught her with unfaning regular
ity to place it on the winning side 1t was
a marvellous situation. When she lost the
bet was doubled. when she won the origi-
nal starting point was returned to. In
each deal there are from 20 to 81 coups. A
taille consisting of 26 coups may be made
in 81, lO8S64 different ways and probably
100, 900 Frenchmen have gone crazy trying
10 juggle these figures into a combination
20 beat the bank. Here / was almost in
possession of the secret, with only a
French countess between me and millions
Satisfied with the promise of success
held out by the system l undertook to raise
capital for the invasion of the bank. Rep
utable financers stood agast at tire
thought Of subscribing to anything like
our scheme. Finally ! turned TO the rich
gamblers-men who win take a chance at
or,stl,fpor r,atfhar WHINING over "a loss nor