The Washington herald., 1907-01-27

Paris. Jan. ga eobbler's son named
Dieudonne Ercole, who masqueraded as
the MARQUIS de St Andre and the Comte
de Courcelles. was sentenced to-day 20
five wears Imprisonment after an aston
ishing career of fraud
Ercoie is an accomplished Don Juan,
and by his great personal attractions lie
succeeded in turning the heads Of a num-
her Of women and defrauding them Of
100000. He lived in very elegant style
in a house near the EcOie Militatre, Keep
ing a motor car, horses, carriages, and
number OF servants. His coat-of-arms
was inscribed with the motto: War, viz
tue. and worth
OF Distinguished Appearance.
He was tall. of athletic build, and Of
very distinguished appearance He was
supposed TO be a bachelor, and fashion
able women schemed and intrigued TO be
invited 10 the delightful soirees he gave.
Now. without warning to the astOnish-
ment Of Paris society, the handsome mar
ouis has disappeared One morning
few weeks ago ne received a polite note
requesting his presence in the Office OF
~ DRAPER, a judge dinstruction- The
magistrate said that a Belgian, Nile. Ar
nadine Van Gelder, a beauty specialist,
aged nineteen. Of Brussels, had filed a
complaint charging the marquis with
swlndling her OF 500 and various articles
of jewelry,
The marquis was astOunded. What,
He, q man Of title, and wealth, accused
Of swindllng, He Pointed out 70 the mag
istrate that he was an eX-embassy at
tachc: that he was on the best Of terms
with many OF the foremost political men
OF ihe day, and ne pulled out pocket
book containing notes % the value Of sew
eral Thousand pounds.
The MAGISTRATE thought il wiser not 10
arres. him, and let him go, with the re-
quest that he would call again in a week.
Next day the marquis disappeared, and
he has not been heard Of since.
Then the legal authorities set to work
and made discoveries They found that
the selt-styled marquis was really the
son OF "A COTsican shoemaker. and that he
was born AT St Andre de COtoue in Cor
sica. His real name is DieudoHne creole,
but he has been known az various times
as the Comte de COurcelles and the Mar
quis de ST. Andre. In July. 1892, he ar
rived iu Paris from LAURA, in Italy.
where he had succeeded iu having him
self appointed as auxiliary clerk 20 the
I French consul IN that city. This enabled
him 10 print on his card, "Attache in the
/ French Consular Service" Soon after ar
irving iu Paris he gave himself the title
of the Marquis de ST. Andre, ex-attache
/ OF embassy.
/ in this capacity De made the acQuaint-
ance OF "a wealthy widowed lady Of
Rouen, who advanced him $4,000 This
1 lady s mother unknown 90 her daughter
/ lent the nObIo marquis another $4,000 He
spent the money IN royal fashion. taking
IA me house on the Avenue d'Eylau and
engaging a STAFF Of servants Unfortu-
nately for himself. the widow discovered
that be was intriguing with one Of her
I friends. a married woman. who had lent
him $4,000 She was SO indignant that
she made "a complaint 20 the police, but
( ner fear Of publicity prevented the mar
| quis being exposed.
He then went 20 Belgium where he
met a Nine. Durcampf. with fortune
T OF $4,000. He proposed marriage. and was
accepted but just before the ceremony he
told her his real name, adding that he
was the natural son Of the Due de Pen
thlevre- Nine. Durcampf who was aux-
ious 20 become a duchess, did not mind
and the wedding took place. year
later he left her with a baby and without
any money.
The marquis" next made the acauaint-
auCe of a Nile. Armadine Van Gelder.
and managed 10 borrow considerable sums
OF money from her. He also borrowed
her jewels without her permission.