Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-02-24


80 per cent of its stock sale proceeds
pany and the commission. But Dun
blame through accident or mistake
or other reason. opened up accounts
of his own. In particular he had one
account at ST. Ignace, Mich, and in
particular he spent from there the
sum of $24067. part of the proceeds
of a stock subscription by Mary e.
Miller, one of the several who sub
sequently laid charges of theft by
embezzlement.
1t was long time before Dun
blanes" subscribers became suspi-
cious. When they did warrants were
issued simultaneously in Michigan
and in London and Aylmer, Ont 1t
was, however, Sheriff Weaver Of
Charleyoix who located "Dunblane"
and the Countess" living in La Co
roma hotel, Montreal. The Earl reg
istered under the name of James Gro
marty. "Dunblane" did not fight ex-
tradition but returned Immediately TO
Charlevoix for trial.
Admits the Facts.
At the trial "Dunblane" admitted
the facts concerning the Mary E.
Miller subscription. He had acted in
ignorance, he said. He said many
other things, but he was convicted
and sentenced to from two and half
to five years.
1t is estimated that, all told, Dun
blame" sold $4,000 of stock.
There is still much mystery about
his past, but so far as can be learned
he was born in Aberdeen of poor par
ents. AS a child he ran around the
streets with no shoes or stockings, his
clothes in tatters. Developing a
mania for reading, he made himself
what he is today, a man of learning
and culture.
At twenty he married a Scotchwom-
an, who became Christina Grieg.
They dwelt In Aberdeen. Several
years passed and several children
blessed the union. Grieg and his fam
lily then moved to Nottingham, where
he formed his first association with
the insurance business He appears
to have had some dealings with the
Scottish Union and National Insur-
ance company, but he was not there
long. In the witness box he said that
he had assisted Sir Herbert Croft to
organize another insurance company
there.
Ten years ago Grieg appeared in
Canada. He established himself as a
barrister at Moose Jaw He bought
a 6O0-acre farm in Saskatchewan, he
bought 10000 prairie acres near Re
gina. In 1914 he had filled such a
place in Moose Jaw society that he
ran for mayor, but received only 81
votes. About that time he became in
vOlved in a deal over lot titles and
quit-claim deeds.
On the Move.
He was arrested, allowed out on
bail, and departed hurriedly for points
east. He turned up in Lowell, Mass.
Here he lived with an elder brother,
and here he brought his family from
Scotland. Here he organized another
insurance company. But again he
moved suddenly.
Next his family are heard of at
Ann Arbor, Mich, and then they came
to Toronto.
Grieg himself says his mothers
name was Christina TAFT Milne, his
fathers Alexander, marquis Of Dun
blame. To a Toronto Star reporter
he said he was an NJ A from Aber-
deem, a bachelor-of-law from Edin-
burgh, fellow of the Engineering
Institute of Scotland. and a fellow
of the Royal Scottish Geographical
society.
Books of reference show that the
title Viscount Dunblane belongs to
the earl Of Leeds. In the witness box
Grieg said his mothers father was the
youngest brother of the earl of Leeds.
The fact was not recorded in Burke's
Peerage, but it should be, he said.
"Have you hobnobbed with royalty?"
asked the prosecutor. IL have asso-
ciated with noblemen," replied Grieg |
with dignity.
Wise do = dkncT.
In court in the presence Of the |
Countess" Grieg was asked about |
his Toronto wife and family. There |
was some confusion as to how many |
Of the eight children are his. Even
tuaIly he told the judge Christina
Grieg was twenty-eight and had four
children when he married her.
The status of his marriage to the |
Countess" or of his previous mar
rage to Christina has not yet been
officially inquired into, although
Judge Sample, when sentencing Grieg,
put 1t on record that he wished al
legations of bigamy and of perjury to
be investigated.
Christina Grieg resolutely refused
TO 90 to Charlevoix from Toronto for
the trial To reporters she gave the
of suffering from shock,
and expressed the greatest incredulity
the revelation about her
husbands financial and martial adj
ventures in the United States.
The Countess" Sara remained loyal
all through the earlier stages of
Grieg's trial She sent books, among
,thers. 'This Freedom" to the jail,