The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-26
MARQUIS WAS A BURGLAR.
ROMANTIC STORY OF VI. DE LA
TORRE. BON WANT OF PARIS.

He Lavished I'm Good Living what
He stole In HOteIs-Murder OF
False Friend Led to His Down
fall.
Paris. Oct. 24.-There has been an
epidemic of sensational criminal cases
here during the past week, each of
which is typical enough of certain
phases of social decadence. We have
had the arrest of the Marquis de la
Tore, the flight of Canon Rosenberg,
and the arrest and subsequent escape
of the banker, Boulaine. OF the three
l fancy that the Marquis de la Tore,
Of whom the papers have published
next to nothing is the most striking
character
The Marquis de la Torre-ah!-he
was rascal after Vautrin's own heart,
and made in his image, and continued
his traditions in the comedie humane
which we have always around us. The
Marquis de la Tore was a splendid
and romantic figure. You should have
seen him in all his glory of Spanish
rastaquouere- dom, seated on the ter
rassee of the Cafe de la Paix, slipping
his apertif of quinquina-matere, his
neatly shaped and beautifully booted
foot tipped gracefully in the air, a
gold banded Havana between his lips,
triumphant curl in his black mus
tache, in his eye the gay CLINT of the
hidalgoi
You should have seen the Marquis
de la Tore, dining extravag antly at
Julien's, at Pruniers, at Paillard's,
surrounded by a bevy of beautifully
| painted butterflies, attracted and sas-
! cinated by the glitter of his gold, which
he flung lavishly around him; by the
| magnetism of the enormous diamonds
which dotted his shirt and sparkled
on his fingers: by the charm of his
voluble speech, with it's rich Spanish
zezaiement! You should have seen the
maitre d'hotel bow down to the mag
nificent Marquis de la Tore, as he nom
chalantly drew from a bundle of So
600 francs worth of notes the bit of
paper which his dinner cost him if
he simply dined alone! And more
wondrous still, a cynosure of every
eye, was the Marquis de la Tore at
Monte Carlo in the gambling rooms,
wondrouS not so much by what he
lost or won, for in reality he played
but little, but by his unrivaled pose
his stately and athletic proportions, his
Incompatible cheek. And had you per-
chance been in mood of observance
r
the Marquis de la Tore watched the
game, and noted with a quick gleam
from his intelligent eyes those who
won the most and seemed mentally to
mark them down, and was indeed at
pains subsequently to ascertain in
which of the numerous hotels of Mon
tie Carlo they might happen to be
stopping.
All Paris that keeps fete knew and
envied the Marquis de la Tore. At
Maxim's his entrance was greeted with
fiutter of satisfied anticipation and
approval La jeunesse doree was proud
to return his nod. still prouder to press
his hand. The jeunesse from whose GIN
gerbread the gilt was worn off knew
him as lavish lender. whom it was
needless to repay. AT the bars he
drank whisky with American Million
aires, or over choice champagne spun
yarns about his Incompatible castle in
Spain, with its widespreading vine
yards from which the revenues of the
Marquisate de la Tore were mainly
derived. A fine old crusted name that
of De la Tore, rendered illustrious by
the Inflated Gen. Prim, murdered in
the hour of victory, and whose de-
scendant the Marquis was quite salts
ned to proclaim himself to be.
And so the legend grew and there
was no better-known or more popular
man in the gay word of Paris than the
Marquis de la Tore, whose happiness
seemed to be without "a spot until one
afternoon he entered the Elite bar, one
of the so-called American bars of the
giddy city, kept by a lady of mature
charms. whose nom de guerre is Mar
got de Berry. and situated in the Rue
Taitbout. The Marquis eye flashed an
unwonted fire, his brow was clouded,
and he was in a wrath. He told Mar
got. and all who willed might hear Cn-
deed, he spoke in such high passion
that you heard whether you willed or
noO tale of the blacklist ingratitude
on the part of his bosom friend the
Vicomte de Lavergne. Penniless ruin
ed by gambling, the Vicomte de La
vergne had sought help from his friend
the Marquis. who. with the true hidal-
go liberality. had taken him in and fed
ana clothed him and filled his pockets
with money and introduced him to his
wife.
And what had this serpent done but
stung the hand of his benefactor, in
asmuch as he had stolen the affections
of the lady in question, and actually
eloped with her. taking with him for
their future needs large sum in cash
= duel to the death could alone wine
out this Infamous wrong. and the Mar
quis swore with a great Spanish oath,
which made the whisky jump in the
bottles. that the Vicomte de Lavergne
should speedily die at his hands.
The duel came off at Viilebon, near
Mendon, and 1t was nothing at all like
the common French duel. so dead
earnest was the Marquis indeed thar
the Vicomte. in fear OF his life, seized
his antagonists sword with his LEFT
hand Ga craven thing 10 do by an the
codes Of honor and dueling) and with
the weapon In his right gave the Mar
quis de Ia Tore "A terrible jab IN the
~ DIN.
Manned for months, the Marquis at
length recovered and again sought out
the islite bar and the sympa thetlc Mar
got, this time IN "a more Rhastly state
~ rage than ever. And under The eyes
~ th' Ahfi6hted walters be- drcg fosfh