IMPUDENT SWINDLERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2732, 10 February 1910, Page 3

IMPUDENT SWINDLERS.

PARISIAN JEWELLERS VICTIMISED.

A case- of swindling is now before the. Paris courts, says ihe correspondent of the “Standard,” and all the leading .jewellers ox the Rue de la Paix are relating their misfortunes. The- accused ccuple —the- prisoners are man and wile—have had an adventurous career, which would be deeme.. extravagant and beyond all possibility if presented as a novel. Othmar Karl Gubata is a tall beardless youth of 20, born in Austria of humble parents. The “Countess” Gubata is twice his age, and a handsome woman, American by parentage, and speaking French well, whereas fine “Arcuduke" nows nothing but German, and was examined through an interpreter who knew little more French than the accused. Othmar began life as a scullery help, and, after robbing his own family, lie assumed the title of count for a while, hut shortly. transformed himself into an archduke, and set out on his travels under that style and title. At the age'of 17 ho visited Now York, but returned to Vienna, where lie was sentenced to a short term for false papers. In 1907 he was in California, where he again fell foul of justice, and met with his future wile, a widow calling herself do Batch. They travelled about Europe in motors, anil finally rented a luxurious villa at Ausseo, in the Tyrol, from which country, however, they were shortly after expelled.

Returning to America, they were married in New York, in 190 S, and were next heard of in Lausanne, where the- exploited a rich Russian by ropre seating themselves to be the Archduke Karl, son of the Archduke Otto, and Arciiducess Maria Josefa. How this absurd impersonation ever imposed on anybody it is impossible to explain, as a glance at “Gotha,” would have revealed the deception, but everybody he met seems to have immediately credited the fable. The woman, even before the court, assorted that .she had never doubted that her husband was really the son of the Archduke Otto. Last September “his highness” arrived in Paris, and at once took a sumptuous suite of apartments in one of the most expensive hotels..- Here Madame, “the Archducess,’ 1 ’ through an acquaintance of old days, the Duchess d’Andria, was recommended to M. Fontana, a leading jeweller, to whom she stated that she was an Austrian princess. The only “proof” she seems to have offered to her friend the duchess, or to anybody else was the portrait of a lady in Court robes whom she alleged to be her “’mother-in-law.” the Archduchess Marie Josefa. It was sufficient, however, for Mr. Fontana to send her £BOOO worth of jewels (most of which, weer re-sold immediately to other merchants), such as a magnificent collar of pearls, valued at £3200, which was passed on to a. brother jeweller for £1560, and sold by him to a client for over £I6OO the next day. All those concerned vowed that they acted in perfect good faith, which shows that strange things must happen in Paris when such transactions are considered as normal. M. Fontana excused his confidence by the faith lie had in the introduction of the duchess and by the luxurious way in which the Gubat-as seemed to be living. Another jeweller, M. Chaumct. acted on the recommendation of a manager of a large Paris bank. He only asked the Archduke's age, and was satisfied

at his reply that he was 30 years old. M. Blum, was asked, by telephone, if lie would like to buy some- good pearls, and went to t-ho Hotel Continental, where'the pair were down on the books as M. Gubata and Ala dame Thomas. He seems to have asked the proprietor who they were, and next day to have paid £ISOO for the pearls- that M. Fontana valued at '£3200, whilst the day afterwards he got rid of them to M. Aron for £BO profit. After a brief and comet-like sojourn at the Hotel Continental, the pair rented a luxurious furnished mansion belonging to Count Hendrikof. Court Chamberlain of the Czar, for £3200 a year, just the estimated price of the first collar of pearls. Here they lived in great style for.a few weeks, until M. Fontana grew uneasv. and. in spite of the portrait of the archducess, he entered a complaint , and had the- “archduke” and his consort arrested. Besides the jewellers, all the tradesmen of the quarter have been victimised. The prisoner' makes no defence, merely admitting all his offences with, a satisfied smile. The woman, on the other hand, protests that she was herself de_ ceived, and in this her husband bears her out. After having passed himself off on hotel-keepers, bankers, and tradesmen, it is, perhaps, admissible that he should have impossed on his wife, though a of his age and even his name, with those- of the real sons of the late Archduke Otto would have been sufficient to protect any or all of his victims.