AN ACCOMPLISHED SWINDLER.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 215, 16 February 1875, Page 3

AN ACCOMPLISHED SWINDLER.

A swindler of a really high order of ability has lately brought a brilliant career to a close at Moscow in the person of an ex-prince, Demetrius Tschawtschawadze, who has been levying contributions at a dozen of the chief towns in Europe, London being especially mentioned, with continued success. The Prinoe never changed his very unpronounceable name or his story, after the fashion of those more vulgar imposters who contradict themselves by the frequency and multiplicity of their inventions. He was always a Russian prince, had always been robbed just before leaving Vienna by a young man he had unfortunately taken into his service as secretary, was always expecting large remittances from St Petersburg, and was meanwhile in the closest relations of intimacy with the Russian Ambassador. It followed that he was for the present unable to pay the bill he ran up at the hotel which he had honored with his choice, and was further in want of a new secretary, to whom he could promise a fine future career and a large salary in immediate prospect. So plausible was this adventurer, that at Berlin he not only left one of the chief hotels without suspicion before his remittances arrived, promising to send payment of his account, which included a number of petty tradesmen’s bills, from London, but carried off with him to that metropolis his landlord’s son, whose little purse of nearly £SO his new master borrowed freely from, leaving his victim just enough to so back to Berlin with, when he was presently ordered there to await the Prince on his way to Russia. On the young man’s departure, the Prince, who had been introduced to some Russians of means, borrowed £3OO from one, according to the statements made in the Moscow court, and with this booty went off to Paris. Here, again, he borrowed from Russians on the strength of his alleged intimacy with their ambassador at Berlin, but disappeared on learning that inquiries were being made about him owing to a warning sent from that capital. Having tried all the European Courts out of his own country, he appears to have sought refuge at M oscow, but here his career ended. He was arrested on suspicion, and presently identified with one Linieff, a non-commissioned officer, who deserted some months before. For this desertion the soidisant Prince now lies awaiting trial, but his swindling is only mentioned incidentally.