BERLIN GAMBLING TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1775, 13 June 1913, Page 6

BERLIN GAMBLING TRIAL.

STAILMANN'S METEORIC CAREER,

WORLD-WIDE FAME,

The sentences passed on the two prisoners Stallmana, otherwise tho "Baron KoriiT-Konig," and Cramer, and tho acquittal of tho third prisoner, tho exLieutenant Nieinola, on tho general charge of card-sharping and obtaining monoy under false pretences, has, says tho Berlin* correspondent of the London "Standard," given renewed interest to tho question of gambling and gamblers among ttio Berlin public. Tho oast had lasted almost two weeks, arid was really a remarkable illumination of somo of the ways of the modem man of tho world who grows up cither ltt an ofiicer's mess or in a Berlin gambling club. Nothing at all in tho rase was reaily ordinary, from tho aged judge who presided—one arm the less and an Iron Cross tho more as the result of having fought at Grrvelotte—to tho court-room, which is said to be tho highest aud tho smallest of all tho 200 courts situated in the great Law Courts Building at Moabit. Iho Bar was such as is seldom seen in Berlin. The Public Prosecutor, having to contend with three of the most famous defending barristers of this gene-ration— ])r. Werthauer, Dr. Alsberg, and Dr. Julius Meyer 1-adopted a suavity ot manner ,that is seldom met with. All barristers know moro than a littlo about cards, and licrr Julius Meyer I. boasts that ho lias defended every notabl* gambler who has bren put on trial m Berlin for many a'year. Ihe designation "Julius Meyer I." is no indication .of kinship; it is a reminder tnat there exist no fewer than three practising barristers of this n*.m«, »n<l tho numerals are used to distinguish them. ~.••• i j Both Cramer and Niemcla distinguished themselves by their- word-play with the Bench and Bar. Niemela, a former lieutenant, a successful aviator, au inventor of several improvements to aeroplanes, and oven tho victim of an aviation accident which cost him the tip of bis noso; also a successful motor driver who drove a car of his own in on© of tho inuz lleinrich Trira races, is by no means an ordinary individual. He is tho son of n. military veterinary surgeon, and his family had mado tho greatest sacrihces inorder that tho son should wear tho spurs and epaulette.! of an.officer. As was said during the case, ho soon gained the ear ot tho moneylenders and the hearts of womon. Meanwhile his sisters were stinting themselves to provide him. with money. Ho played at high stakes in half tho gambling clubs and casinos, not only of Berlin, but of tho whole of Luropo; whilst his only unmarried sister was living on a shilling a day and allowing lum live-sixths of 'her pay as a school teacher. Stallmann, however, was the ceutral ligurc. It may be taken as certain that his name will go down to posterity as one of tho kings of tho gambling world. His extremo .nrkinity in court, which drew all manner of compliments from tho judge, jury, and prosecuting counsel, was part ot Ilis nature. His life history reads like a romance. It© madfc his first fortune os agambler, lie was soon tho owner oi a motor-car and a yacht, tho master of a small army of servants, and, what was most remarkablo. ho paid for all irom his bank account without gambling.. Then ho married a wealthy South American with tho romantic name of Escalada. It was then that he began again to gamble. Ilis success, by whatever means it was obtained, was phenomenal. Ho himself says that lie was cleverer and clearerheaded than those who met him at tho card table, and, after tho trial there aro few who could doubt this contention, lie also says that lis won much by sleeping from early evening until the email hours, and then turning up at tho tables irosh and clear-headed, when all tho others wero stricken with fatigue. At all events, his notoriety was world-wide among tho gambling clubs of tho world. Somo of his other feats were also remarkable. Ho explored the desert onco with his own caravan, and ho received tho hospitality of several -Oriental potentates, whilst altogether ho travelled more than six times round tho world. , At Lourenco Marques Stallmann iron so much at baccarat that a warrant was obtained against him. He escaped as a ship's cook on board a tramp steamer. The steamer then strangoly enough tailed to turn up at the harbour for which it was originallv destined. At Calcutta ho was ill in an'hotel. He was placed under police surveillance. After thrco weeks tlio police discovered that tho man they wore watching was not Stallmann, but tho man's valet. Ho camo to Berlin several times with impunity, and once dined hero in an hotel within a few feet of tho head detective who was investigating his case Tho police afterwards admitted that they had mixed him .up with a. Weisbaden waiter named Konig, who was a notorious sharper. The real Konig. however, was a head taller, and much darker than otatlmann.