COUNTESS ON TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1964, 22 January 1914, Page 3

COUNTESS ON TRIAL.

BERLIN SOCIETY SCANDAL, l

WHY NOBLEMAN SHOT.HIMGELF.

fiil-ofSseiisaiions ;from'tlibj<tnaH ; :of,Ccuntoss* : Eiizabctli: ;slaiK!f-i';j?Tlio.couiitess' is\ .of'a''iierm'nir , ;'cenied;j:in':the:::trial,;.iiicliidiiigSPri)ircsa r ■iLpiii.so-.rof..'- Belgnim'niul' Princess ■'■'Alex:ant!ra. ..of ,Iseiilmrg-Budingen,-'ivlii!e tho. ■CrojvitjPrince's'-uamo was 1 -' mentioned ■during ) proceed-iriEs,-.Tvhich were occupied ■ with;.the .case-'of 'a" i; -young-?■'nobleman ■.nan«;(l..yon.;Alteii,i„wuo was- alleged.... to. have ■■' boon.;brouglitSto "such a' pitch of ::«ospair;-b.vusury /that, lie shot-himself. 1 Ins-yoiinK-'man.was:"said"to have twice had-his ■.debts- paid".; ; off bvvhis .father, once for. £50,000 and?.the*- second tinso for half that.-amount,rbut ho,.was again I! 1 'jifncultipi;' ? t tho"-time of.his deatli. , ■;^■Tlle ; chief■. named Pariser/-and under examination by, tlio..".Publio : Prospcutor.ilio got rather a Hgry. ;};Wheii it. was suggested that he had.obtained exorbitant interest on a loan of ,£2OOO, he.;.answered',.: warralv that rather than profiting? by the affair he had really lost; as ho had not known that'.-.von Alten had:, abandoned his claim to lns« heritage;', Pariser continued .with emphasis 'that tho"allegation that von AltenV suicide';.was: due-to usury was 'tiuite'wrong,';.'the' real, reason" of the 9iiiCKta being-, the';.danger.;-of. a'prosecution ■ oii account,of.-Paragraph;., 175,-of ,the -Prussian CodeSS;^:«ji?fi#vi4:i\i;\;■- ' ?*'The''..Prosecutor,''-.-'quite; excitedly; 7 ; risk-' ed how ho could'know''-tha-t.-^:Pamer said:J- : !'Herr Prosccutori^it'B'iyn '".the dossier.* '-Herr Proseciitor,{;you :? seem.iin--suffieientlr: informed:-Hj|SfHwl::;:;:iT? AFurtherjiassagcs of'arms followed before tho Prosecutor deyelopod"-'a "series of questions with; a' ..viow;:.to;;' learning--n-hat'-iiuluced "Pariser;:to".advance von Alton, tho money. ; The Prosecutor finally asked :^"Wasii'tS7>it:-because.:> ;: vo)i Alten.;,was/,the. ; Crqwn^,P ; rhH>c' : s : A;, fellow- '■■ '■ ■ p! '*i*''W'^fe counsel ~Sintor;Dealin^-Wl|riJWornon ; Dealin^-Wl|riJWornon ~''A:.nuniber bfi;Jiigli-£onnding : *iiafn(?s wore'read out from aregistor seized at the '.countess's-.'flat...but,the'..coniitess said .that she-, had'not-had;' anything to do tvith money affairs,'- though: she re* .mombered.that'.shehad'onco given 20s. to-Coiint Metternicli^wbeso''name-was' ' among■ Uiose ' s Ci-'.\ ->' X ■ «.■■ ■■■- It was suggested -;:that- ; the'scountess had been 'associated in . the "von ■'.'Alien affair' with Pariser, but Pariser stated emphatically that,he had never had nnv. dealings ho had never,.. heVsaid/had.any ..business dealings with;'wbnicn, as- the'y.:',-n!waTs -turned .out' badly ;■'.?'-','' ' , H : The- sitting- conoluded':'wit]t':tlse':'evidence of-tw-o young noblemen',-.'' Eninio. von ■.Bemiin'gsen Vmid..'.Count;- Dohna ■.Sciilobitten.V ; .Tliß first;,.who is a'lamlsd .propi-ietor,-'.c6ukl?.:--not enlighten ''tho Court ina'ch'coneernino; Pariser's loan in .von - v Aitoir:oii -a.- promissory note,-,which .he himself ':ha'd..countersigned.' .;""-Sv .■-,-,■■ :;ASchlohitten's L '?'debts •■■ wore -.giv<?ri:' as 'snmo £20,000. prosecution alleged '.that the countess was-a.-party- to per■suading- Schlobitten to'ilauncn'-'- out in .r'rlangero'us return -.for. '.hor. arranging a loan of £'2000. Schlo-..hii-teiv.'mirchnscd .a ■castle 'in Bohemia, which".he-'was ■after.ward.s.coninellcd to ./sell at a great-loss.-■ ThcO'whalc. affair was very ..intricate,' the. valuo.. of ■ the ■rastlo being much disputed,'and it was not very' : 'eloar,„j';.whai ; -connection -'■' the rou'ntes's.was'jsn'pjw'sctl'to have had with tho deal.' '&&*''';>)&'>'■ '-" ; - ; ' ! '"',Vo";'-S''-.. •',

■ Ex-LioiitoiianVVon.'St-ccho'w, n''Tricnil of von Alton, gnvo evidciice.- 'He'.-had l'.itlicrto';ip;ttor«l tho most pressing ap■j)cals..to J givc cvidoll^r^ , ,■■ and was to have ■ lipon"brought- by force, but- he came of his own' free' s !will,' -apparently in, order to .'refute the evidenco of 'Pariser.

■ ■ His. vprsion. k :'pf.%Ui6 ;money-lendin?; trausaetioii wa3'.tiiat..;.voH A Hen asked .where he might borrow ■'. £13.."G0. ■ Ho mentioned tho ..Coimtess [ vots Treulierß, whom the twoivisited toßether.-- : Here they met two .Pariser and Domanas. V.. Pariser offered to lend £12,000, and; askediforiyoaj,Stcchow's .; '■' ■'!-'-,..^J-J".';-. v.-v.'. ■•■..;.: '■'%■. ; .,

.S., Later a..fui'thei-':den)and. : -.was' ? made for signatures'.' 1 proposed that Uriniiifr.son.'i'who/.'.asvn'ii officer of .the liotiH Hussars,; Jiiiew;'von . Alt-en 'when lifvwas d-Bonn;stiitlent. J .'sliotild )™ one. ■ ; Pariser", ; s ..who ;.waa.i : still fied. 1 asked ■ r|tie.i.tions.'about' the wenlth of FranEenniEsen.,; Finally, .von Alien teeeived the'.' money; ■ and; immediately, took the. tr.aj'n to; Badeir "races'? money .-was..-.wanted 'sto'' pay.:-off'-icard debts. :H ; ,.;. v '.C'.'-.'v-^i!':«-■■':=■'." ..K- , '■' ■■"*:>■

Sale to a Prl^oess.

.. : ''Tliese'- : were:"dobts : ';pt' ; li'oHo'ur,"ssaid vdn Stc_chow^j':' ; s'.'il,y'' , '-''i'rieii(l,>-.' with... his strict, hiterpfctalioii;.-,'of .questions ofhonour, took them most Eeriotisly.' ■ The Inst I learned.of him was inmi;a iet-toi'. forwarded -Jrom Shis'" mother;l'f ; ;'Froni this letter! lie, read;:theifollowing:-H'l can't.and .won't go on.-. .1 .'hope...that pupa will, pay, so tlia'tj,tiiqre : ';vvill.'bc'.no claim against'■you;":|;;,::;:;^L-'-'sW'' : ' ; ;*?'^.;'i:'

Some remarkable evidenco';'was-given later by' Cosut Councillor. Kaysef, .who described the ways and doings' of von Alten. . He,.was -an'sinyeterato: gambler; In order to 'keep, him", solvent it would have .been necessary','to have■■ ■ half-a-dozen millionaires.:.in. tho. famiiy... It was impossible to hold him. back.".'. He. simply thirsted .for-Uho- card -'.tables. Once he loft, £1830 inja'.sin'iilo. niph't. to one player. Happilyi,his..friends .intervened in that case,, and tho/debt was 'cancelled in retiirii"for,.'£loojh!eashSv

Tltr-n came, a lengthy J-statemeiit'by the Judge 'as .to the, chargo • against the Coiintoss ■" oPr'r heihg ■ connected with fraudulent, transactions .-in ;-■ regard v. to I'vinccss. Loitisein.F Belgium'.'* The Judge explained titat'':the Princess ...in'"the. winter of. l!)oS,;.;;whije '.stayiiigS-iiu. Berlin,'' was so badly ; qlf that, the hotel -where she,was staying.exacted payment'of her hill daily, previous to serving.her with luncheon. ..„.,Consequently...she . had--'fre-quent transactions "with imoney-lendcrs;- .. Finally, it is alleged, the Princess was ■persuaded,; partly..:.through:. the ; agency of theCountcss.f'to'buy a .quantity, of bfioK-s..for.;£lo,Qoo l £000. ''In the end''tiie'JJriiicess'/rcccivcd •neither hooks .nor, nibney.j.r'.tv^liji'*!!,