The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-26
AUSTRIAN NOBLE
TRAMP BY CHOICE
The Strange Life Led by Count Rocco
DianoviCh.
HE HAS VISITED EVERY CLINE.
The Count is Making Study OF the
Prison Systems in Voguc-He Says
Americas is the Best and
England's the Worst.
HE HAS VISITED EVERY CLINE.

Count Rocco Dianovich. Of Austria,
tramp by occupation. and jail-brd by
choice arrived in Richmond yesterday
morning After visiting the Austrian
consul and receiving from him GER
uncate of his identity. this blue-blood
tramp called upon Secretary Of State
Lawless and Mayor Taylor, and paid his
respects to those gentlemen.
Count Dianovich has chosen this method
Of securing data for a book on the pri-
son systems OF the world, and on his
return to his native land viii write
book on what he has seen and exper-
fenced lie goes everywhere on foot and
commits some trihlng misdemeanors in
! order 10 be incarCcraled IN the prisons
! Of various cities His last escapade was
! in Washington. where he shattered a
plate glass window that he might spend
"A fifteen day sojourn in the District
workhouse. From there he went 10
Baltimore where he visited the penal
institutions FROM the Monumental
CITY ho came here. He will Visit the
penitentiary and jails here and make
observations on the methods of the treat
ment OF criminals in the Old Domlnioh.
NOT a HOBO.
The count IS not in appearance AS
one would imagine an Austrian noble
man 10 be. lac wears instead OF the
marsha4's uniform a shabby. thread-Dare
coat: the nearest to decorations are
watch chain and whiskers.
He is not a hobo however Endowed
with am income. he asks aid Of none. lie
has travelled from Greenland : Icy noun
taius to midas coral strand" lie mas
soon fine mouth of the Mckenzie. 10 IL
degrees north: he has travelled the sun
marched deserts Of the Africas. He has
seen every form of imprisonment ana
punishment from horrors OF the SIBERIAN
mines to the Black Hole of Calcutta lie
a. "a man OF vast experience. ana iertie
i'm resources as far as getting behlha 'he
bars is concerned. lie has visited every
country on the face Of the earth IN oider
10 learn personally of the various me'h9uS
OF Imprisonment in vogue
A UNIQUE CHARACTER
The count is forty-seven years old ana
has spent thirty-four years IN globe
tro.ting. He Is a picturesque and unique
character. STANDING about hVe ieet
six inches. he is of sturdy growth HIS
| face is pleasant and intcnisence is Keen
~ marked. lie wears luxurianl WHISPERS
Of the mutton chop variety. lie speaks
seven LANGUAGES nuently, especially the
English. knowing which. he claims, one
can 60 anywhere and be AT home
LIFE OF TRAVEL"
AT the age Of thirteen Yeas .elu l"0
! Count Il became imbued with the us-
! sire to travel and see the world. My first
visit was 10 Greece: then TO turkey
and later / went 10 Palestine, visiting the
| city of Jerusalem and the supposed site
! OF the Garden OF Eden. Next ] went 10
| Eevpt. and after seeing Spain, Portugal
and France. ] returned To- my native home
| for short stay
"But was restless and started ont tor
! Germany meeting the late Kaiser VII
! helm III. Then 1 went 10 ST. Petersburg
and had the Car sign passports IN oideI
! 10 enable me to visit the mines ana
! prisons of Siberia. After spending some
| time there l went to sweden ana was
presented to the king After seeing Nor
way. Holland and Denmark which l ara
| afoot. and I'm 1870 / found myself IN ing
land. TO Gibraltar and West Africa l
! wCnded my way. sailing from there 10 81
| Thomas. W. l. The ten years war IN
| cuba was then ON. and the United States
| and Spain we've on the verge of hostilities
on account Of the Nirginius affair
shipped as "a landsman on the United
! States cruiser Congress. commanded 10y
| Lieutenant Commander W. T. Sampson,
now Rear Admiral. whom l remember
, well 1 received my discharge az Norfolk
in 1872
"In 1874 I visited every part Of the
| United States. and while making a tour
Of South American countries served IN
the Chni9n, Peruvian and Brazilian ma
| vies Then 20 Mexico. and after that TO
the Yukon. Ny next point was the Sand
| witch Islands. and my Wanderngs led me
| 10 Samoa, the East Indies, Japan, China,
and India. Then fancy took me to the gold
| fields of South Africa and Australia. !
| am now on my return to Austria from
South Wales, having landed at San Fran
cisco thirty months ago on my last tour
of the United States"
NEVER SICK.
The Count says he has never been sick
day, but he relates some narrow os-
capes. once when travelling in Italy he
was attacked by brigands and was only
saved from death by the appearance Of
mounted gendarmes. The scars Of bat
| Tie with Cinnamon i'm California he Will
! carry TO his grave. On this occasion he
saved himself from death by the vigorous
! use OF an old walking stick which Is in
| reality a nickel-plated bayonet, a relic
| OF the Mexican war With this weapon
/ he put To- rout two of his assalants badly
wOunding both. and the third Chnaman
he hung up by his queue to "a nearby tree.
AMERICA THE BEST.
In speaking OF the methods Of punish
ment and the treatment OF criminals
| Count Dianovich says:
81 have visited the prisons in every
! city Of every land. My conclusions may
| be briefly stated as follows: America has
, the best: England, the worst. Sne treats
her criminals more harshly than any
other nation on the face OF the earth not
excepting the Chinese. In Australia l
! found the foulest prisons, the largest
criminal class and the severest punish
ments. / have seen The pagan tortured
In China; / have seen the barbarit!es Of
the Turks: | have seen the punishments
of the Russians, but IN all my expe-
riences 1 have never seen any cruelty
practiced under the law equal 10 the Hog
gings that are administered in the Brit
ish prisons I'm Australia. where the prs
oner Is whipped with a eat-o nine-tails
until great strips of flesh fan from their
bare backs"