The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-23
Lived in Luxury and Married a Coun-
tess While Perpetrating His
Daring Robberfcs.
CALLED A DANGEROUS MAN
FIRST DISHONEST VENTURE PRO-
yIDED HIM PLENTY OF MONEY.
Escaped Punishment for Years, but at
Last Caught and Imprisoned-Is
Now at Large.

Correspondence CT the Indianapolis Journal
BERLIN, Aug. S.-George Manolesco, a
Roumanian criminal who has just escaped
from the lunatic ward OF Herzberg Prison,
near Berlin. is called by the German police
the most dangerous man in Europe; and
the strange story of his life and adven-
lures fully justifies his description.
ManoIesco is the son of a Roumanian
prince and a French actress who was en-
gagged at one of the Bucharest theaters
during the year preceding his birth. Neither
his father nor his mother made the least
provision for him, and he was handed over
10 a foundIings' hospital. where he spent
his earliest childhood. Those early days OF
confinement in a dreary institution. unloved
and uneared for, had doubtless much to do
with the development of the boys criminal
instincts. At any rate, he showed signs Of
criminal genius at an early age.
Like all the inmates of the institution. he
had to learn some trade or occupation, and
owing TO his delicate health and refined
appearance he was taught the duties of a
waiter and valet. At the age of fourteen
ne received his discharge from the found
lings' institution, together with the sum of
500. which his aristocratic father had been
obliged to deposit for the purpose when the
child had beer admitted. A position as
waiter I'm a low-class cafe chantant in
Bucharest was found for him.
The next four years of his life were
passed i'm this and similar positions as
waiter in sfth-rate cafes and restaurants.
in which he came i'm contact with the
worst types OF criminals of both sexes and
all ages, besides "a variety of nationalities.
The Roumanians have a knack for lam
guages and Aandolesco was no exception
10 the rule, for during the few years that
he was knocking about the Balkans he
picked up French. German and English
with an ease which bore testimony TO his
wonderful mental powers. At the age of
eighteen. or Whereabouts, Manolesco OBJ
tanned a place as valet to a millionaire
Roumanian nobleman, Prince Lahowari,
whom he accompanied all over Europe. The
youths intelligence, willingness and pleas
ant manners gained him the confidence of
his master, to whom he became more
trusted companion than mere servant.
1t was in this position that Manolesco
was able to obtain that wide knowledge of
men in general and high society in particu-
lar which afterward enabled him to pursue
criminal practices with such astonishing
success. He learned to know how ladies
and gentlemen talk and act, how they take
their pleasures and how they live their
everyday life. lie became acquainted with
all the railway routes i'm Europe and with
most of the great cities of the Continent
All this wide experience was the capital
with which lac set up business as an expert
criminal about five years after he had en-
tered fhe service of Prince IahOWari. that
is. at the age of twenty-three.
ROBEED HIS MASTER.
Prince Lahowari was staying In Paris at
the time One evening when he came home
from the theater. his valet was nowhere to