The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-21
ARRESTED AT
PRISON GATE.
Ba|ensi Wanted In Paris for
Famous Lsbaudy SwIndIe.
is APPARENTLY UNCoNCERNED
Lost Millions 10 Speculation end SsUsd
Six Years for The Larceny Of
Diamonds.

|
New York, June 21.--A man OF distin-
guished appearance and polished man
ners. his hair tinged with gray and his
face marked by prison pallor. was locked
In q cell In Raymond street jail last night.
charged with stealing s1.0oo.OOO He is
Guillaume Balensi alias Louis Alfred Ba-
iensi, alias william A. Bellwood. one of
| the we'll known coterie of swindlers who
Little Sugar Bowl" and fed following
the disclosures at the death Of the Ill
fated spendthrifN
Balensi was arrested yesterday by
United States Marshal Henkel and Dep
uty Marshal Blake at the door OF the
Eastern New York Reformatory, at
Nspanoch, N. Y. to which institution
he had been transferred two months ago
from Sing Sing. where he had served q
six-years sentence for the larceny Of
jewelry from Marcus & Co., Of Union
| square.
The arrest was made on a complaint
sworn to by Consul General Bruwaert, Of
France, who asks that Balensi be extra
dited TO Paris on a charge of embexxling
! more than s1,9ooooo. He was arraigned
before Commissioner Shields and re-
manded to jail until next Thursday.
Balensi left the court room with step
as jaunty as when he. went to the Champs
4 nd a
pointed out as one OF the fashionables
| of Paris. the owner OF a racing stable and
a palace, who spent each month for
| tune with the carelessness with which
most men spend a franc.
BALENsI UNCoNCERNED.
Balensi was apparently unperturbed
when the marshal touched him on the
shoulder as he appeared at the reform
| atory gate. He was as unconcerned as
when on the morning of July IS, 1897. he
was arrested at the entrance to the Plaza
| hotel where he had been living In lavish
usual shrewdness and he knew then that
after having spent years among sur
| roundings dear TO princes q cell faced
him, but he did not quail.
| According TO the complaint on which
he was held by Commissioner Shields.
| Balensl was an Official Oh Id Societe
| Francaise de Banque ct de Change, In
| Paris and between Jan. I, 1894. and Dec.
81 1885, converted to his own use $500, 900
| francs.
Mr.. Murray, or Coudert Bros, who
| represent the French government. told
the commissioner they were prepared TO
proceed with the case at any time, hav-
ing their proofs ready Balensi. how
ever. said he would have to send TO
France for his proofs. and asked that an
adjournment be taken. II was decided
that the French government could put
| in It's proofs next Thursday, and that the
prisoner could then have an adjournment
in order to prepare his defence.
Balensi admitted that the Paris bank
ing house had lost about 6.Soo.ooo francs
through his speculstions in stocks.
But" said he, II personally did not
profit one franc. All the money was lost
| I'm speculation"
AGED BY PRISON LIFE
BaIensi. or. as he is better known In
this country. Bellwood. has aged con-
siderably during his imprisonment in Sing
| Sing which began In March 1898. II was
two years before this that he came to the
| United States and under his alias hid In
| Philadelphia from French officers who
were searching for him.
The story OF Balensi Is practically that
OF Max Lebaudy. The embezzlement
charge on which he is now held concerns
| the millions stolen from "the little Sugar
bowl" Balensi was Lebaudy's banker.
| He first came into prominence In Paris
| as q shrewd broker and as he prospered
he gained n name as a plunger on the
races and a man of extravagant tastes.
Just at the time Balensi found that the
tremendous drain on his resources could
not long continue all France was wonder
I 81. Nf Mn yaha atfdx
the lS-year-old son Of a sugar magnate,
who had died leaving an estate of more
| than $40 100000 10 be divided among his
| FIVE children. Balensi made the acauaint-
ance OF the youth, and. as IL afterward
transpired. induced him to deposit more
than 100000 worth OF securities In the
| banking institution Balensi had formed.
BaIensi was again seen in his old haunts
| and living his old life OF splendor. He had
convinced Lebaudy that he would become
rival OF the Rothschilds II Balensi
handled the cash. When the time came
for an accounting Balensi confessed he
had lost millions In speculation In gold
| mines, Lebaudy believed his adviser and
deposited valuable jewels I'm the bank.
FLED TO PHILADELPHIA.
Following the young mans death at
the age OF q and the disclosures made by
| Mile Marsy, of the Comedie Francais.
Balensi fed to Philadelphia. where with
the jewels he set up jewelry store. He
gained n profitable patronage and bought
| largely from jewelry firms I'm this city.
But he returned TO his old manner OF
extravagant living. and was forced to re-
turn 10 his old ways Of getting money
TO pay the piper. lie obtained about
So. 900 worth OF jewelry on memorandum
from Marcus a Co. and pledged II with
| pawnbrokers. Ills arrest followed. and
he was convicted OF larceny
The French officials have long waited
for his release. but Balensi little ex-
pected yesterday that he must return al
once TO Il cell. He was politely com
municative. and a few hours after his
arrest said that the charges against him
grew out of "a little banking and brok-
erage company I founded I'm Paris :
Speaking OF his conviction here he said
II was tried twice. and. according 20
my viewpoint. wrongly convicted. But"
he added with n shrug Of his shoulders.