AN ARISTOURATIO CRIMINAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1039, 4 September 1883, Page 4

AN ARISTOURATIO CRIMINAL.

A trial of international interest, destined. j-to prominently amongst th hwmisixlebres of this "century, has bqen concluded at' the Innsbruck Asdze'Sfc Tyrol. The accused was Baron .Pavel.'- Ramnuiigen,; whose |[yqs£qaused ho small .sensation. He to royalty through his cousin’s marriage : with -the Princess Frederica, and was charged with fraud in cpnflfcttid’tf'Wilhthe “Reichardt Legacy.” Tii Bistbry of this legacy as given in is .a romance in itself. *i the imiddlc of the; last century j Reichardt,-. after serving in .of 1 i the Grand Mogul of Delhi against the English, founded the Principality of Sirdhana, in North West-India. ; TheNegacy which bears his name fell to his wife,.Begum Somru, renowned Tor her cruelty, who eventually embraced Hhe Catholic faith, and adopted as her heir David Dyce SjStobre,’ 'a gratidson of General ReiChafdfi" ■ The legacy was, however, sequestrated Ijy the East India Company, 9p: plea ..that after .the General’s death Begum was only entitled to the Usufruct of the Principality of Sirdhana. A long and complicated' suit arose, which was only finally terminated id 1872 by decision of the Privy Council in London. David Dyce married a daughter of Admiral St Vincent, and. was . .subsequently declared to be a lunatic, in consequence of his cxtravagantr-way of living. He disinherited ’ his wife oht' of revenge, and,made, a will in favor of the East India.'Company. . .After his death his Widow • married' Lord Forrester, and attacked her deceased husband’s will. While this lawsuit was going, on, sqmeit was suddenly anp'popcqdi 7 that General. Reichardt was not, a pative of India, but a born ‘Tjrfcbltesfc A notice, inquiring .for the defendants of Reichardt, appeared in |r^*yr^. : Pevspaper, and shortly. afterwards a teacher of languages, named Geqaud, residing at Bozen, put forward a clairavtb the’legacy on behalf J of a VOrpan pretending to descend frorp Reichaidt’s sister. >ln spiteof Genaud’S efforts. ithe -case fell throtlgh, but, nothing prpcuyea'';atfothe^ dientf'idpfersofr '6t‘ one Slaiia Widpaayr, formerly epok to the vicar of the Jjjtq; 1876, through- .an mtrm .Count Gunther Sternberg, this pair became acquainted with Baron Pawel-Kamraingen, who, owing to his knowledge of foreign languages and connections in the best society, appeared the right man to promote the legacy venture.. An agreement was QtpudQledi and. it J was decided;tb blish a fund for the purpose of furthering the pbject in view. Baron PawelRammingen, says ihejindictment, went at to ; London, and as often to Rome, besides performing several jourfi^ys I td : PariS ; ahd Vienna. He managed to collect over 30,000 florins through Genaud and Widmayr, who. obtained the money from small ca Pl#|t>Dundeir : ; prpmise ;tKat • three tildes the amount thus advanced should be re-imbursed. . Baron Pawel-Ram-mingen succeeded m inducing several ; note, rin England, and Austria to interest themselves in -his undertaking.

He took advantage of a communication Denbigh, stating that Begum Somru ,a large sum to. Catholic mission at Agra, to represent the whole affair .as pne. ; pf primary importance to the Catholic Church. Baron Pawel - Raramingen by this means won the sympathy and support of the <oletgy.; He had, moreover, been converted to Catholicism in America, and in 1879 was ? appointed Chamberlain to the Pope. He addressed himFriars at Rome, that| orderfhaving furnished the mission to Agra, and promised him that the Tyrolese heir to the Reicfaardt legacy would pay the Capuchins their share, said to have been withheld {by the. English Government, providing they would support the enterprise. ' "The -Baron boasted of havingi. 'secured the goodwill of the late Lord Ellis and of Lord Ripon, Viceroy df India, but with regard to the former there is | reason to believe that, the statement. is, altogether unfounded, vyhilev.so. far, as Lord Ripon; is concerned,' he only vaguely promised to give the matter his‘-attention should'it ; dbihe : .'before the Indian law courts.' Thd adV£f ; indictment concludes; with a. of' petty, charges agaipst the Bgirqn that have li|tle to do wjth the raaifrcbust. -.v. 1 .

,fes J&t&lt’had been Cptirt, * the President 5 m£de ; tfi'e sdmewhat extra-' ordinary remark that the Baton’s relations having testified to hisunblemished .either* he must have: acted' without thein knowledge, l or they had aide false’'statements/ "The accused glebed ngt guilty. Evidence was| jthenled, the trial lasting six days. The queslkjo'lffiliUta the j.ary the accused deceived, persons by false represdiiMtibhs,' and 11 obtained

large false pretences; jiiil^nkqoitte<a'^ > diex' , 6f guilty/and ' the prisoner was sentenced :: to' seyen years’s imprisonpient, with one,fast' f |ti4y per ■ l mppth r ,^tf! ( his'titfe. The seventy of the sentence is explained by the fact of a previous conviction, .accused.;listened to the sentence calmly, and Evinced no surprise. <a'i ~ v*. 1 ; i— ;i-’" '•