The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-12
"a PARTISAN ROMANCE" .

If the story related by the Temps and
other French journals this evening is
correct. an individual named Laforge,
who was arrested at Asnieres few
DAYS ago, understood the vanity of his
feIlow-countrymen and knew how to
take advantage of it, According to Nj.
Cochefert. two years ago Laforse was
little better than a vagrant. Being
often without lodging, he slept in the
open air or under a bridge. He was
known to the police, but he suddenly
disappeared from Paris, and was not
| heard of again till a few months ago,
He was then a very different man. He
had always plenty of money was well
dressed, kept a carriage and had a lit
| tie yacht on the Seine. Ills pied
terre, in a fashionable quarter of Paris,
was elegantly furnished and he no
! longer called himself simply Louis Leon
Laforge but Don Leon Prince Laforge
de Vitauval. Due de Saint Leon. If he
bad contented himself with the glory
attached to SO great name he might
have lived happy in the generous hos
pitality offered him by a credulous peo-
pie. His ambition was, however, high
err He founded the Order of the
Knights of Saint Leon, of which he was
naturally the grand master. He soon
found means to get himself admitted
into French society, where on festive
occasions he appeared dressed in a
gorgeous costume covered with gold
lace and, of course, wearing the grand
cross of his order. In return for the
civiitics which We're lavished upon him
he distributed freely his insignia of the
order of Saint Leon, and it is said re-
ceived in exchange several foreign
decorate tons
The influence of the prince" in his
household grew rapidly. He was al
ways addressed in the third person,
every one bowling before him He was
on visiting terms with many of the |
rich, and even noble, families of France,
and is described as having on several /
occasions made his appearance at the /,
reception held at the Elysee and various
ministries. On one of these occasions, |
when he was at ministry, where he .
had, as usual, been announced by the /
usher as Prince de Saint Leon "a gem |
tleman whom he had recently decorated
came up to him to complain that his .
secretary, Louis Revol, who had as
sumed the title of Count de Grigny had |
called upon him, claiming 300 francs as
chancelery dues for the order. After
listening to the story, Don Leon, Prince
Leforge de Vitauval, replied: II hope
you will have him arrested. The in
divfdual who called on you must be a
swindler"
The list of the alleged dupes of the
prince" and his secretary is said to be
very long, Laforge being accused of no
fewer than forty offenses. He would,
however probably have remained at !
large, as people do not care to proclaim
to the world that they have paid for
the decorations they are vain enough
to covet and wear with ostentation had
it not been for the fact that embolden-
ed by his success, he. 1t is said, sought
to gain the hand of the daughter of
very rich gentleman. AS is customary
in France, before consenting to the
the father made inquiries
the sutton. The result was
Of such a nature as to cause him not
only to refuse the Princes" demand.
out also to communicate with M. Coche-
'ert, chief of the detective department. !,
It so happened that M. Cochefert had
uet received the condolences Of the
Princes" naval attache, Louis Revol,
llas Count de Grigny who had been .
lrrested for having Illegally donned the q
laval uniform. That being the case. :
W. Cochefert had no hesitation in at ,
,nce arresting Louis Leon Laforge, ,
lias Don Leon Prince Laforge de q
The arrest took place only a
ew days before the knights of the Or
Ter of st. Leon were, it is alleged, in a
ending to give a banquet at the Grand :
Hotel in honor of the grand master of
hat order.-London Standard.
For a Cold in the Head :,
LAXATIVE RrOn n . q N 4 nine In bIets