New-York tribune., 1919-12-06
Polish Nobleman, Who Got
Loans on Strength of
Great Legacy, Confesses
Inheritance Is a Myth
Bogus Letters Aid Fraud
Bubble Bursts When Photo
graph Showing Hc Is
ex-Convict Is Produced

Zdzslaw c.. Komorowski, alias
Charles Kay, said at the District At
torney's office to be a Polish count,
was arrested last night and taken to
Police Headquarters, charged with
grand larceny.
The arrest, following a weeks in
quiry into the noblemans ACTIVITIES
in New York City, came after he con-
fessed to Alfred j. Tallcy, chief AS
sistant District Attorney, yesterday
afternoon. Count Komorowski admit
ted to Mr.. Talley that the 100000
estate which he had said had been be-
queathed to him by his sister, the late
Princess Wiazemskaja, also of the Po
lish nobility, and all ready for trans
fer to him by the Public Trustees of
the city of London, was a myth.
fessed that the $4,000 he borrowed
last September from New York City
friends by telling them he soon would
have his "s1O, 100000 legacy" and make
good his notes, had been obtained by
false representations.
Count Worked in Cellar
Complainants against Count Komo-
rowski were A. Parker Nevin, attorney,
and Republican candidate for the Su-
preme Court in 1918, to whom the
count gave note in return for $1,000
cash; Steven D. E. Csesnak, member of
the Polish colony here and president or
the Export American Industries. 80
Church Street, from whom the noble
man got $4,000, and George Fudakowski,
friend of Csesnak, who advanced the
count $4,000 on his note. \
Fdakowski is in Warsaw ard was
not in Mr.. Talley's office when the
$10,Oo0,000 bubble burst and Komorow-
ski admitted he had been working as
cellarman in a Child's restaurant
here when he decided to add four
ciphers to 81, 900, the actual amount
Of the legacy left him by his sister in
1905.
Komorowsk, who met his three vic
TINS through mutual friends, showed
them letters couched in the formal
language of the English barrister from
his London solicitors, BLACK, Jennings
MacFarlane, of Black Friars Road.
London.
Cable messages established the fact
that that number in Black Friars Road
was dellcatessen shop and that no
such law firm was registered in Lon
don. These letters notified Tomorrow
ski that he soon might expect to come
into his "$10,000,000 legacy"
Letters written on stationary with
official embellishments, ostensibly
signed by the Public Trustee of Lon
don, Informed the count that his S1O,-
100000 soon would be transferred to
New York City.
Bogus Letters Convinced Victims
1t was on the basis of these letters,
COnfnCCn.l Il I,,1ox
cables from "Solicitor MacFarlane,"
who announced he was coming to the
United States to aid the transfer Of
Komorowski's millions, that the count
convinced his victims that his claims
were legitimate.
Komorowsk even went so far as to
arrange trip to London with Nevin,
which was Cancelled because of his
(the count's) indisposition.
He persisted in his'stooy to Mr. Tai
ley yesterday until the District Attor-
desk and showed the count Rogues'
Gallery photograph of what was inds-
putably tne Komorowski face, minus
mustache. This was taken in 1910.
when komorowski, under the name of
Charles Kay, was arrested for lar
ceny. He served six months than.
After seeing the photograph the
count confessed.
komorowski is sixty-three years old.
tie is civil engineer and former Of
ticer in the Polish army. He came to
the United States in 1892 and has
worked at various times for the Polish
National Commission and the Polish
White Cross. He speaks eight Ian
guages. He lives with his wife and
child at 336 East Eighty sixth Street.
Mr. Talley said an accomplicc of Ko-
mOrOWSki soon would he arrostod