New-York tribune., 1903-06-28
FRENCH POLICE TRICKED.
H'rong Priest IN Custody for Canon
Rosenberg, the SscindIer.
Paris. June IL


about year ago a certain Canon Rosenberg
succeeded in imposing upon the charity and
eeaevoience Of many great ladies Of the Fau-
hourg 81 Gernain, and under various false pre-
fences had managed to aInass fortune amount
ing TO 100000. The adroit canon even drew
eoclesias1c dignitaries OF the Vatican into the
r7eshes Of his web. and among his victims IN
Paris were the Papal Nuncio the Duchesse
o'Albufera, the Princesse de Broglie and many
other AustrioUs PeTsonages The Napoleonic
audacity OF Canon Rosenberg's exploits was only
surpassed by the stupendous operations Of Nine.
Therese Hurbert- The only victim however to
take legal proceedings against the canon was
Nine Civet, who sought TO recover some $4,000
which she had confded to the swndler to endo1
mythical establishment called the Miraculous
Light" in which foundlings were to be shell
tered. reared and educated according to the
principles OF the Church
For several weeks the French police searched
for the mysterious canon high and low He was
traced TO rustic villa on the shady banks Of
the Disc. but the officers Of justice were half an
hour behind time The canon had already fed
fortnight ago. however. the news was tele-
graphed from Beyroot that Canon Rosenberg
hzo al last been arrested while on a pilgrimage
10 the Holy Land, ana had been dispatched u
-Harsellles on Messageries steamer for trial at
The Court OF Assizes. in Paris Enterprising re-
por1ers boarded the Yang-Tse as she made fast
70 the wharf in the port. They peered into
Canon Rosenberg's cabin and some OF the Mar
seilles reporters went far as to write inter
views with the master swindler who. chained
handcufed and escorted by police, gendarrnes
and detectives, put in a special car on the
Paris express He arrived at the Conciergerie
Prison al midnight on Friday. and was securely
placed in q cell near that OF Mime. Therese Hum
hert and opposite the historic room where Marie
Antoinette had slept the night before her execu-
ton Paris papers devoted columns to the ex-
ploits OF the canon, for their readers were TO he
RECALLED by 6 highly sensational cause ceIebre.
at 10 o'clock Oh Saturday morning the pris-
oner was led, with paIe downcast face. before
n Flory, the magistrate. who had summoned
for the occasion Nine Civet NJ Benjamin Gado-
bert and score Of witnesses Representatives
u the press and a fashionable audience filed
the courtroom The Judicial examination began
Judge Flory, without even glancfng at the &C
cused, who stood trembling between two gen
daraes, put the usual formal questions TO estab-
lish identity. Your name is Stanislas Rosen-
berg. ex-Ca-on Of Tours, charged with swindung
and"- Suddenly the judge was interrupted
by the following exclamation from the prisoner
uttered in a piercing voice. with broad Arneri-
can accent, No, no It's ali q terrible error. I
am not Rosenberg! Ny name is Pierre DorvaL
an hfty-nine years Of age. I was born at
Montreal, Canada I belong to the Order Of
Cistercians, and my name in religion is Father
Robert" The judge started as if from q dream
wiped his spectacles. scrutinized the accused
man and asked. But did you not at Beyroot
confess that your name was Rosenberg?"
No. indeed! protested all the time, until at
last. tired Of being bulIied and u1altreated, I
kept silent otherwise should have gone mad"
Il gradually dawned upon the magistrate that
some great error hal been committed The
judge said, Tell the court how it all happened"
The prisoner replied: Il was travelling
IN Palestine pilgrim I was on my way
from Jerusalem to Smyrna At Beyroot
missed the steamer LIE GaIlien. upon which
should have taken passage I thought would
take advantage OF the delay by going TO Da-
Hascus. went ID the Lazarist Monastery near
Beyroot, but, finding that It was too far from
the town, returned TO the Hotel de FEurope.
On Sunday. May II, I quietly lunching at
The hotel, thinking of my proposed trip to Da-
rnascus, when the vice-consul Of France ap-
peared, and asked to see my papers, which he
said he had been told were not in proper form.
The VICE consul took away my papers and said
that h would examine them az leisure. Shortly
afterE-ard patrol Of Turkish police came and
arrested ne. I protested in vain and was put
into prison. Next day I was carried 10 the
Lazarist Monastery and confronted with the
monks in presence Of the French Vice-Consul.
All the members Of the congregation were as
senbled in an immense hall One Of the eccle-
siastics-the preache--with profound emotion
addressed me. saying: It is you, my poor Stanis
las Rosenberg. whom the authorities have come
fo~. You VIII shortly te compelled TO answer
before the criminal tribune Of Paris the grave
charges brought against you. I hope you VIII
be able 10 refute ali accusationsr I at once
veherently protested that I was not Rosen-
berg. but no one listened to me. and before I
could finish my sentence the preacher inter
-1pted me with the words; oh! my son, God
VIII be rnercIful If you cease further prevari-
cation. II is 10 use. you are found out!
co and expiate your worldly faults!'
The preacher who wore full ecclesiastical
robes turned aside his face in apparent sorrow,
ana il an access Of righteous despair said 10 the
vice-consul and 10 the police: oh take him
away gentleIneni 7 irnplore you TO remove him
from my sight as soon possible-the spec
tacle is too painful and too huriliating" The
policemen then carried me away. notwithstand-
ing ny protests. Several monks exclaimed:
why Rosenberg, II is not at all nice Of you TO
refuse 70 recognize your comrades We all |
know how clever you are, but It is pure folly to
Try 10 deceive u.s. Furious and indignant,
shouted out that was not Rosenberg. could
not even obtain sight Of the warrant for my
arrest. which ought to have been accompanied
by a photograph OF Rosenberg. which would |
have at once explained the terrible error.
put IN chains. handcuffed. and placed on
hoard the Yang-Tse. During the voyage 10
RIarseIlles 7 protested continually. but no one /
would believe me. In despair kept silence, /
and this was taken as confession"
Judge FIory asked Then you formally de- /
~fr. rlos