The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1912-04-23
CLEVER Thief TAKEN
Europe's Most Daring SWinG!eT
Is Under Arrest
Robbed the Charitable, Posed &c
Prince, Marquis and Monsignor CT
Church, and His Loot
Totals Millions.

Rome.-Nerve was what kept this
phenomenal rascal skating gracefully
over the thinnest kind Of ice. And his
nerve has not deserted him, now that
the ice has broken under him and he
has sunk overhead in the muddy Wa
tiers of trouble.
Behind his prison bars he seems, in
deed-like most clever criminals-to
take a sort of professional pride in his
achievements. When he realized that
denial was henceforth futile he shrug-
ged his shoulders and said:
Il congratulate the Roman police. I
have travelled all over the world and
got away with many hundreds Of
thousands of lire.
However, that which l stole l stole
from the rich. I never trimmed any
one for less than 100000 lire (S20,000)
What pity that the law must punish
mel 1 have helped an infinite number
of poor priests. Today 1 had an ap-
pointment with another prelate; in
stead, l am in Jail. What PITY"
This unique scoundrel is a sort of
combination Of Tartuffe and Barry
Lyndon. He posed as a priest and
wore priestly garb, but he was not con-
tent with that, for he wore purple at
his throat and purple girdle, which
indicated that he was a monsignor OF
the church.
The bearer of these noble names and
| ecclesiastical titles had no right tc
| any of them. He never was a priest
sock, much less the purple of a pre-
late. He is just plain Giovanni Bat
| tista Gindri, son Of a respectable Turin
| hotelkeeper He obtained his familiar
! ity with church affairs while receiving
his education in an ecclesiastical sem
he would become a priest. But the
| youth found his vocation along very
| different lines.
| 1t would be impossible and useles!
to make list of those he has swim
died. 1t is believed he has got ava!
with several millions Of francs in all
| The greater number of his victims
have made no formal complaint agains
him, preferring to pocket their losse!
rather than to suffer the chatting o
their friends because of their gullibil
ity. But it is known that among tn,
sufferers are cardinals, archbishops
abbots of monasteries, mother superb
ors and ADDRESSES of converts and nobl,
men and women who are charitabl,
| disposed.
How did he do it? In many ways
He forged letters of introduction from
one bishop to another. He ingratiatet
himself here and there by conspicu
Gus acts Of charity and piety and s,
got genuine letters of introduction
from prelates and mobiles.
Among those upon whom he imposes
was the dowager duchess of Genoa
mother of Queen Margherita of Italy
in whose private chapel at Novara b
said mass, and from whom he receive
a present
When caught in Rome he was abou
to go to st. Peters to say mass, tn
authorization so to do being signed b
Cardinal Respighi, which signature
declared to be a forgery.
There was nothing new about hi
swindles; they were'the old, well-wor
devices, with which every one ough
to be familiar, but which work jus
as effectively today as they worked i
the time of Gil Bias.
He is to be sent successfully t
each Of the cities where he is "wan
ed" in each of them he will be trie
! and, If convicted, will be sentenced. S
he has the prospect of four or fiv
prison terms, one after another, i
different parts of Italy.