The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-16
Baron Korf- Koenig Is Released
From Moabite Prison in
Berlin.
" La MARouIsE DE FoNTENoY.

BY La MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.
n ARON KORb'F'- KOENIG, CHIEF OF
n one OF the cleverest and most
successful bands OF information
al card sharpers and swindlers, and
who has been q frequent visitor here
In tho New World. is once moro at
liberty: n fact OF which the police in
the United States and in Canada would
do well to take note
Although there were nearly hun
dred warrants out against him for
EwindlinE, when he vas released tho
other day from the great Moabite
prison at Berlin, yet 1t was found i'm
possible to execute them, owing to the
fact that he had been extradited from
England on n charge OF swindling at
cards. ard that the cxtradition treaty
particularly provides that man who
Is eXtradited for one onense cannot
DO held or tried for any other. Those
armed with warrants for his capture
wore warned that he could leave the
country with molestation. and that 1t
was not until he had done so that they
could take steps to have him recap
tured and eXtraditcd anew.
While there was no doubt whatso-
ever as 10 hts guilt OF tho particular
charge on which he was extradited,
namely, of swindling by means of
cheating at cards yet the evidence
against him was OF most unsatisfac-
tory character. His principal victims
left the country rather than appear
against him, and the result was that
after being detained In the Moabite
prison at Berlin during an investiga-
ton which lasted for more than n
year, the authorities were obliged to
let him go.
and among his confederates were
Count Gisbert Wolff Mctternich,
nephew of the former German ambas-
sador of that name In London, the
Sicilian prince of Formosa," who was
arrested q couple OF years ago at the
AnElo-American Travellers Club in
Paris. by the French police. and ex-
PEELED from the country as card
sharper, his wife, moreover, nguring
In very scandalous case the other
day In London, while others were a
Roumanian of the name of Bujas. n
German Baron Schenck zu Schweins-
burg, and an Englishman who styles
himself Captain" Newton, and who
claims to have served in the English
army during the Boer War.
Baron koeniG. whose operations
have extended all the way from CAL
cutta to Buenos Aires. and from San
ranc!Sco Montreal and New York, to
Cairo, when last over here was accom-
panied by Prince Formosa, scion OF
an ancient Sicilian house. but without
any legal right to the title he as
sumed. and by Captain Newton and
they made many dupcs in New York.
Chicago and In other leading cities of
the United States and Canada. AL
ways extremely we'll groomed. appar-
emily we'll bred. with agreeable man
ners, delightful fund of anecdote.
plenufully supplied with ready money,
frcQucntIng the best hotels. occupying
the best cabins on steamers, etc. they
found no difficulty In picking up ac-
quaintanccs, and sooner or later this
led to card games. with the ultimate
result that the strangers were Vic
tiniizei, In some instances TO a very
large amount. In most cases tho vic
Tins said nothing. preferring tho loss
Of their money to the ridicule which
they felt they would be subjected to
at having allowed themselves to he
duped by men who are professional
crooks.
The impuAence OF the soi-disant
Baron Koenig Is Almost beyond belief.
During the last peace conference at
The Hague, he managed to get himself
invited TO most OF the official recep-
tiors and entertainments and when
he fieeced a young American ut cards
10 very large amount, and tho
mother Of the young man. bearer of
well-known name IN New York,