New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-04
ALLEGED DUKE AGAIN IN
HANDS OF THE POLICE
Philip de CIemeCy, Charles de
NeverS or What Not, Seized
on Bad Check Charge.
CAREER A PICTURESQUE ONE
Prisoner Is Described as a Genius
by Former District Attorney
in His Book on
Crime.

Two men with square shoulders and
bristly mustaches walked up to the
Duke" Philip de Clemecy late yester-
day afternoon as he was haggling with
a taxicab driver. II was an embarrass-
ing moment for the "du6e," for he had
ridden S6 or 81 worth and had only 80
cents in his pockets.
"Shucks. YOU know me- he SAID TO
the chauffeur. i've ridden with you be
fore. Youu get your money. Moneys
no object to me- anyway. and
But here one Of the bristly mustached
men broke in.
Hello. duke; how are you? Remem-
mer Us. don't you?' he said.
You have the advantage. What's The
name. please?" murmured the duke"
However, he wilted Immediately when
the men told him they We're Sergeant
George II. Griffin, Of the Central Office,
and Detective Meister. Of the Pinker-
tons. and wanted him for a little matter
of bad checks passed on the Hotel Tou-
raine, Boston. 10 the amount Of S292.
The duke" admitted it, they say, and
declared he wanted to be taken back 70
Boston at once. so he could get out Of
the white searchlight Of publicity, but
the detectives told him he would have
To remain at the Greenwich street police
station until he could be taken before i
magistrate. and there he spent the night
under lock and key.
The duke has had a picturesque, If
spotted, career, according 70 the records
at Police Headquarters. Detectives
have had him under surveillance two
weeks FOR the Hotel Touraine matter.
He was indicted four times for grand
larceny IN this case in Boston on June
. and was traced here a fortnight ago,
and yesterday the papers arrived.
Whether his name is Philip de Clemecy,
Charles J. Francis. Charles Jules Fran
cois de Nevers, Charles de Nevers or
just plain Nevers is a question, for he
has travelled under all Of these. but the
police think he is Charles de Nevers.
Served Eighteen Months in London.
He was locked up I'm London in 1903
for swindling motor car builder with
bad check, serving eighteen months In
1903, when Louis FOrgeat, a French
sculptor, met him on board the Lucania,
bound for New York. he was Charles J.
Francis, and he persuaded the French
man he was interested with J. T. Nor
gan. George J. Gould, John D. Rookie
feller and others in a proposition 10 dig
the Panama Canal He told the sculptor
he was, in addition to other things, gen
eral manager OF the Illinois Steel Com
pany. and when he said I'm going 10
dine at Rockefeller's tonight Forgeat
invested Sl6 in the canal scheme. \
lawyer represented the French Consulate
at the trial.
The same year he was tried on a
charge Of grand larceny growing out of
his bringing from France several alleged
heirs to the property on which the Plaza
Hotel stood. but was discharged. He
pleaded guilty TO perjury before Judge
Foster in November of the same year.
ard was sent to Sing Sing for five years
for swearing that he owned No Id
West 1OTth street. which he offered as
security for q speeding chauffeur. He
wrote The Judge a letter, in which he
said he was the eldest son Of the Duke
oscar de Nevers, and had himself been a
lieutenant in the French army, receiving
the Cross of the Legion Of Honor for
bravery in China, and had served in
Madagascar and Dahomey. lie offered
the alternative OF voluntary exile TO
sentence.
After the duke" got out Of Sing Sing
ne made an affidavit that while a pris-
oner ne had drawn the same plan for
the Bear Mountain prison that William
l. Beardsley of Poughkeepsie. had used
for winning first prize. Warren and
Wetmore. who won second prize. had an
action begun 10 have the findings set
aside claiming that Beardsley and c. V.
Collins. superintendent of prisons. had
worked together
4 little later he began To practise as
physician AT Nos. 253 and 2J9 West I'D
Continued on second page.