The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-02
"CONFESSIONS' OF SILBERBERG:
ROMANCE TINGED WITH TRUTH

should. be done. was travelling under /
my own name. She said she had
found it lacked prominence. She
added, There is a name we'll known
in Europe allied with a very great
family-the Astors. You take that
name. Call yourself J.. G. Drayton
and will secure you unlimited credit"
He Is of the Astors.''
Being deeply smitten with the
countess, fond of adventure and short !
OF cash, 1t took me but a moment to
decide. We arranged a program of
action. / ordered cards and station
cry engraved j. Cunningham Drayton,
and had the name put on my luggage 4
The we left for Baden Baden.
In that city the countess, who knew
everybody, presented me right and
left. To each introduction she added
In whisper, He is of the Astors.'
That put me in exclusive circles. The
Baden Baden papers announced my
arrival and chronicled my daily
coaching parades, which attracted at
tention. Being a fair whip, was at
home with horses.
Tt was said I was in love with the
countess and isquandering a fortune on
her, 50 everybody was glad to see me.
1t prepared the way for raising money.
The countess visited diamond shops
and confirmed the rumor that I was
to make her handsome presents which
she was there to select.
My purchases amounted to 10000
marks. The gems wereNcharged to my
account and the merchants were dis
1 appointed that I did not buy more.
1 I did not intend to defraud the shop
keepers, but use them temporarily, for
/ had bigger game in view, and made
my purchases modest on purpose. The
4 bigger game was a party Of six or
seven millionaires interested in the
Iscountess. She was a wonder In fas-
j cinating men, especially rich Anaeri-
cans.
They invited us on a trip to Carls-
1 bad, and knowing that they were
heavy gamblers I hoped to win a lot
4 of money at baccarat l had learned
card playing among the poker sharps
of the frontier. Unfortunately, two of
4 the party met a Hungarian prince,
] who was attentive to a Philadelphia
heiress and was anxious to secure their
friendship. He gave them entertain
ments and horseback trips into the
mountains of a most romantic charac-
ter. Result, everybody was too tired
for cards in the evening. When the
party separated we went to England
. for cash and more adventures.
En- Route to Prison.
ct had previously met Louis Palmer
of the great biscuit firms Of Huntley &
Palmer, and I thought would accept
his invitation to visit him, thus open
, ing the way to getting more money
'In London we occupied five rooms
, at the Hotel Cecil, lived in luxury and
were having a fine time with noted
people when the blow fell. An extra.
dition warrant caused my arrest fol
the Baden Baden diamond transac.
,, ton. xts
ut was a. consolation to find the
countess true. She visited me II
prison and offered to settle for the dia
! monds, but the case had gone too far
: Once in German court proceeding
: Ecannot be settled-the law must take
J. its course.
E .sMy arrest came about in this way
4 The real J.sC. Drayton happened to b.
at the Langham, in London. with hi
J, name announced in the papers, which
: caused my pho tographers in Budapes
send him a lot of pictures hat
9 ordered. I was at the Victoria. o
e course the real Drayton got them, am
e1tfus was able to give Scotland Yart
o detectives the pictures and evidence
y they had long needed to establish M.
3 Identity, and make a strong case.
! ~ was taken to Germany and sen
: fenced to three years. by a court
|, live Judges In the excitement of tn
h affair, without a. chance to meet tn
a changes ofzWeatker with proper cloth
u ling,j$I caught cold, q had pleurisy an
: was near death. Home friends thr
]. our representatives IN congress an
n n the American consul, Mr.. Theriot, a
II Manheim,; obtained my pardon. Afte
- serving few months L was given
% sort Of ticket-of-leave, escorted t.
- Bremen, put aboard a steamer an
y sent with other criminals to America
% German style.
n Woman of the Dreyfus Case.
" Meanwhile the countess was i
q Paris leading an adventurous Lift
l. Meeting governmental officials an
rt military officers, she became possesse
Of their secrets, which was the be
'e ginning of the conspiracy to convit
~ Dreyfus. She became the famou
n woman in the Dreyfus case, and mad
to a fortune by selling these secret
he backward and forward during thu
It terrible episode.
I'd 1.-TWO years ago I saw the counties
to in Paris. She was as radiant as eve
of yet a changed woman. People hay
wondered why she was able to igul
at so much in the Dreyfus affair. SE
he was a woman of extraordinary n
al sources, one of the most FASCINATING
at brilliant, intellectual and really wo1