The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-08
Jean Baptiste Frey Is In the Police
Net at Last After = Long
Series Of Big
Crimes.
IMPERsoNATE AMERICAN
His Last Case Which Melted Him
$4,000 Was His Last Ven
ture for. Some Time
to Como.

fAHlS, aug. Jean Baptlste
Frey, the most daring confidence man
and all around crook In Europe, IS
caught at last. Known as HTintin"
Solitaire THE Mysterious Man.
"the Prince of Cracksmen,' and
King of the much feared and far
famed Band OF Twenty-one," he is
in the hands of the Paris police after
long chase.
His last trick was to impersoUate
an American. BY doing this he did"
a Paris social queen out OF something
like $4,000. half in money and half
in jewels.
Last May NJ. Sebille, chief OF the
Paris detective bureau charged with
this particular sort of work, received
the visit Of well known Paris beau
ty. Her name is withheld by the off,
Gals though unofficially her name is
not so secret. To NJ. Sebille she told
her story:
The year before she had been sum.
mering at the Chateluyon, well
known French resort. At fashion
able hotel there she met an "Ameri-
cam nicely hammered, we'll dressed
and in every respect seemingly a per-
feet gentleman. He was. in that vague
way common to such resorts, ac-
cepted as very wealthy. After time
of ardent wooing, the lady (who is a.
young widow listened to the Ameri-
cans promises and the two became
close friends.
One day the couple were walking
in the secluded part OF the grounds
and seeing decidedly shady and
coy nook under the trees, they sat
| down. The American put his arms
about the Paris lady and kissed her.
Just as he did this "garde-champe
tre'' or country constable appeared on
the scene. He was red with rage. The
morals of the place had been outrag-
ed. He would have the couple arrest
ed and tried for outraging public de-
cency. Here the american got an
cry. He told the officer that he was a
fool and that he had better not try
anything of the sort. The American"
even flew at the officers throat when
a second interruption came. The new
conner was supposedly just strang-
er, but he wanted to know what the
row was about and appeared some,
what inclined to take the "Ameri.
cans" part. But the American
could not explain why he was about
to strangle the constable without In.
juring the lady's reputation, 80 he
was forced to remain silent. His an
ger thus had time to cool down.
The arrangement which was finally
made, after the supposed stranger
had left was to bribe the officer. The
American had only few francs
with him but the lady had severa
PARTICLES Of jeweiry, each very valuable
Seeing her reputation ruined, her fail
name hauled through the courts and
before the eyes OF curious, and no.
too forgiying world. she gladly shet
her jewels to the constable while the
American" promising at the same
! time to give large sum of money Il
! the man the next day.
When the time came the "Ameri
cam said his money from Americ;
had not come and his telegram K
his Paris bankers had, as yet, me
: with no response. The Paris lad.
herself forked over the promised
: amount And so things went, tn,
. American disappearing altogethe
!, after a time saying he was obliget
: to return to America He let the, lad.
!. understand that he had fairly ruinet
4 himself defending her fair nam
r against the Matchmaking officer, ad
h vising however, that nothing shout,
l. be done in the matter. 1T would b.
n a pity. after paying out all this none,
o to let the story get out for the wan
9 OF paving little more" he said.
d The constable made occasiona
:. trips to Paris, during the winter an,
q each time he called on the lady. Fir
I ally, having almost ruined 8 herself
7 she resolved to tell the police.
M. Sebille set his men to work. A
p last the right clue was hit upon an
q "Titin. the Solitaire "Titin, tn
" Mysterious" "Titin. the Prince O
= Cracksmen,' and, King of the Twer
:. ty-one,' was Iocated doing the al
e night cafes Of Montmartre, his pocket
!. bullying with money. Arrested after
: violent struggle just as he was leay
ing at dawn, one Of these places Il
company with his mistress, he cor
fessed. NJ. Sebille had the goods o.
:. him, not only for this job but TO
e some others as well.
= Jean Baptiste Frey is not an Amer
= can. He was born at Marseilles bu
a comes about az near being an ARISEN
i Lupin or Rallies as any characte
n the police OF Europe have ever com
- in contact with.
In -
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