A CENTENNIAL ROMANCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 752, 15 September 1876, Page 3

A CENTENNIAL ROMANCE.

When the steamer Baltic reached New York on April 20 last there Was among the passengers a young man about 5 feet 6 inches in height, of spare build, with light complexion, and seemingly of good breeding. This person was known to his fellowwayfarers as Count Geyza, a representative of the Hungarian Government at Philadelphia, for such was the inscription of the cards he scattered broad-cast among Going on shore, he went to the Westminster hotel, and there he became the Baron de Somoskeoy, but still was the Hungarian Commissioner. The details of this first visit to New York are not known, but it is known that he early went to Philadelphia, and had his full share as such Commissioner in the glory of the opening day. When or why he left Philadelphia has hot been learned, but certain it is that on April 29 he was again in New York at tbe' Westminster. . Mr Hugo Fritsoh, the Austrian Consul, who declared that the person calling himself Baron de Somoskeoy was an escaped convict from an Austrian prison, who was not only -yvanted in his own country to serve out his time, but was also wanted in Liverpool and London on various charges of false pretences find swindling. Tbe matter was given to Detective William G. Elder, and that officer was soon on the track of his man. His first discovery was that when first in New, York the “ Baron” had paved the way for Philadelphia by concocting a story that he had been robbed by a woman in a sleeping car of 700 dols,, his drafts,‘credentials, and other valuable papers to show his identity. It was also found that, notwithstaniing h’s los a , he seemed to have plenty of money ! that he had paid his bills regularly, and that, as the Baron, he was the lion'of the Westminster. He elegantly, not gaudily, dressed, spoke German, French, Hungarian, Italian, and English, and was so accomplished that everybody felt honoured by an introduction to the Baron. For five days Mr Elder kept him constantly under his notice without finding anything suspicious. But on Sunday, May 21, he had got very nearly to the end of his tether, for on that day he gave notice at the hotel that he must re turn to Philadelphia bo resume his official duties, and that he intended to return that evening. But he went to Staten Island with a friend, aiffl, returning late in the dsj, made the acquaintance of a lady in the hotel, with whom he passed the evening in the parlor. This lady by some means, after the “ Baron” had left her, found that there were'detectives in the house at the time, and about midnight slipped a note under his ..door, giving him the information. Going to his room, the Baron found this note, and went at once to the office to say to the clerk that there were so many bogus “barons’ about that somebody emailt tbink he wa? not genuine, and offered him money to tell whether anything had been said about him. The olerk calmed his fears, and he went to bed, after ordering a carriage to take him to the Destqosses -ferry at 11.15 next morning. He took the ’carriage thirty nrinutes earlier, and instead of going to the farry, drove to No. fifty five Dey-street. There 1 bis, rich trunks were taken for a moment. Another carriage was called, and with his trunks he was taken to the foot of Liberty-street. There he erased his titles from the tags, and wrote instead Ouripstos Pietro, New Orleans, La., and giving directions for them to.he shipoed to that city, and disappeared, from New York. The next and. last heard of him was on Monday last, when he was asking in the express office in New Orleans for the trunks, which Detective Elder had seized, and which have sines been attached by a fel-low-passenger who loaned the “Baron’’ 150 dollars during the voyage of the Balt : c. This is in brief the story, of the gay “ Baron ” and it is probably the last which will be heard of him in New York. Mr Mr Elder finds that his case floes not come, within the Extradition Treats’-, and that he has done nothing for which he can be held criminally liable. He paid all his bills, and it is not found that he even attempted to defraud anybody particu’ary, unless it was the passenger Jnentioned.