The Jasper news., 1917-07-19

Gus moral repute from the Italian
stage.
All this time the count was trav-
cling about Italy in private car, stay
ing at the most expensive hotels, CIV
ing valuable presents to scores of
people, unfailingly contributing gener-
ously to- all charitable purposes and
war relief He fitted for himself elabo-
rate Offices In the chief Italian cities,
and engaged numerous staff of
agents, secretaries and servants, In
Guiding big Moor as valet.
1t was noted that the spectacular
count" was highly eccentric; but then,
it was argued, all wealthy people are
likely to be more or less eccentric;
and there was no doubt that the people
who were most familiar with his opera
lions thought he was of perfectly sane
mind and highly clever individual.
Where the man had acquired his
wealth was mystery quite beyond So
luton until after the whole plot was
exposed. Then everybody marveled at
its simplicity as well as its ingenuity.
Cortese had two Nccomplices, one n
notary public and the other q poor
devil from Como. who served his pur-
pose because they bore remarkable
likeness to two Piedmontese automo-
bile magnates. COrtese carefully cul-
tivated these resemblances, costuming
and making up his accomplices with
the greatest care to preserve the illu-
sion. One of them was got up to re-
semble Signor Diatto of Turin, owner
of an automobile factory, while the
other was the image of Signor Dante
Ferraris, manager of the Fiat Automo-
bile company.
Two Spurious Financiers.
Accompanied by them, Cortese would
go to a bank, commonly the most i'm
portant and influential institution in
the community where he was operat-
ing, would have himself introduced by
them TO the management of the bank,
and would stand modestly by while di-
rections were given to the bank Off
cIals that he should be provided with
such sums of money as he required on
conditions which were carefully indi-
Gated Usually the money thus sup
piled was deposited In the bank from
which 1t was being drawn.
So perfect was the illusion that the
thing went on for many months before
suspicion was aroused despite the
spectacular operations in which the
"count" was VIGOROUSLY wasting vast
sums. The banks appeared not seri-
ously to have concerned themselves
about what was happening to the
money they were advancing so freely.
He seems invariably to have got all the
money he wanted without the slightest
difficulty.
! When the police at last Investigated
the case, and called upon Cortese to
explain where he got his money, he
well-nigh convinced them that he really
was an intimate friend of the two au-
tomobile magnates. 1t is said that he
even conceived and at times carried
out the plan of getting himself into
association with the two genuine
financiers in order that he might be
|
seen publicly with them. They of course
were quite ignorant of his purpose.
The italian censorship has been In
structed to suppress any hint at es-
pionage and completely on the part Of
the banks. Cortese and his two accom-
plices have been arrested. 1t was as
sumed that q sensational trial would
follow In due course, but there were
those who had doubts. They suspected
that if the MISTER We're forced to a
trial, Cortese would make revelations
as q result of which the scandal would
widen. In partial confirmation of this
view Is a recent cable dispatch which
announced that Cortese would be tried
before a military tribunal. From this
1t is inferred that there Is evidence
that he was spy.-New York Sun.