The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-19

Scranton and the towns in
Il L.ackawanna county for the
past two or three weeks q
man about sixty, white haired, white
bearded, white-moustached, about
five feet ten in height, heavy build.
dark.eyed, and suggestive of the stage
villain Of comic opera. He speaks
good English, but with foreign ac-
cent. He spends much of his time
talking to the fruit sellers, fact
that is explained when it is said that
he is Signor Celso Caesar Moreno, u
native of Italy.
Signor Moreno appeared in Wash
ington, D. c., about twenty years ago
as the promoter of scheme to estab-
lish a telegraphic cable system be-
tween San Francisco and Honolulu.
In that capacity he sought to obtain
a government subsidy to make his
scheme = success. The signor was
once a somewhat prominent resident
of the Hawaiian islands. 1t was in
the palmy days of King Kalakua, the
predecessor on the Hawaiian throne
of Queen Lii. Kalakua was a very
erterprising monarch within the mar
row limits of his insular kingdom. He
played a stiff game Of poker and was
ready at any time to wager the throne
of his ancestors upon fours of a kind.
Whether because Signor Morena was
able to teach his royal hishness new
tricks, or some other cause more or
less discreditable to both parties it
is a fact that the Italian Signor
gained the confidence of his chocolate
colored majesty so fully that he
named the signor as the prime minis
ter of the Hawaiian kingdom. When
this appointment became known to
the merchants and other leading peo-
pie of the islands there was great
uproar The protest was so great that
Kalakua was constrained to dismiss
his new cabinet without delay. Thus
Moreno was prime minister of the
kingdom of Hawaii for one consecu-
tive day. He managed to eXtort from
the king his end of the cable conces-
sion from San Francisco to Honolulu,
and with this in his grip and little
else save an unlimited amount of
nerve, Moreno hied him to Washing
ton, where he has been ever since try
ing TO capitalize his concession at
the expense of the United States.
IN the meantime, lie endeavored to
become figure in Italian diplomacy.
In this effort he run foul of the Ital-
ian minister. Baron Fava. That
diplomat did not take kindly to Mo-
reno's efforts to become the whole
thing, the power behind the accredited
representative os Italy in the United
States. Signor Moreno thereupon be-
gan to circulate In every way avail
able to him; by speech and through
the medium of newspaper interviews
all. sorts Of tales derogatory of Baron
FaNa. No attention was paid to him
for a long time. Finally. emboldened
by,his apparent immunity from being
called to account, he over-shot the
mark and was called to book with a
suddenness that dazed him. He was
indjctef fol" criminal libel by u grand
jury of the District of Columbia,
tried, and on November II, 1898, SEN
tenced to ninety days In the Jail of
the District, all for libelling Baron
Fava, the Italian minister. He served
his sentence. Since then he has been
careful how he attempted to exploit
himself In the District of Columbia
and the city of Washington. In fact,
he has been a very silent figure there
SINCE he emerged from the jail pre-
cin6ts of washington. 1t is only when
he is in city OF section where he
thinks his record is unknown that he
swells about and seeks to dictate to
his countrymen what they shall do or
not do, OF. how they shall vote, or not
vot4. His mission in Scranton and
Laokawanna county is tc. help defeat
Mr.. Connell for reelection and to help
elect Mr. Conry. OF course, the
Democratic National congressional
committee is footing the bill for Sig
nor Moreno's services.
Mr.. Bryan sat down to a "sl2 per