POSED AS NEGRO “PRINCE”

Shannon News, 31 August 1926, Page 4

POSED AS NEGRO “PRINCE”

BUT ONLY A COMMON SWINDLER. ONCE RAISED INTERNATIONAL , QUESTION. When, a couple of years ago, at the request of an American guest, a Montmartre cabaret expelled a .negro who had ordered a bottle of champagne at the next table, the event nearly caused a diplomatic incident and aroused the anger of the French press, which discovered that the victim of. the unwarrantable aggression was “Prince Touvalou, a descendant .of King Behazin of Dahomey, who ■ was studying law at the Sorbonne and , acting as secretary to Deputy Disgne of Senegal. Wlien the latter interpellated the French Government in the Chamber of Deputies, the Foreign Office issued a strongly worded Note warning foreigners that they must adhere to French customs while ' guests of France and must remember that colour did not bar a French citizen from sitting wherever he liked in any public restaurant or elsewhere. ■/ Touvalou is again before the public eye. • Recently the Communist party organ in Paris printed an angry article complaining of the “discraceful act of tyranny” of the governor of the Frensh West African possessions, whom the paper accustd of arresting the “unfortunate Prince” and maintaining him in gaol for base political purposes and without the slightest legal justification. ; Paris has learned the truth, and it is somewhat different from the published story. While the “Prince” is actually in gaol, it is not on political grounds, but owing to substantiated , charges of embezzlement; swindling and forgery. His real name is’ not “Touvalou,’ neither, is he a prince nor related to the late King Behazin. his real name is Kodjo Quenum. He is of West African origin and inherited sufficient money from his father to study law at Bordeaux. Coming to Paris he posed as a prince, duping, many persons, including Deputy Disgne, who finally lodged a complaint with the police. “Touvalou” disappeared, having- gone to the United States, where he is said to have acted as secretary to an American politician. A long list of “Touvalou’s” victims includes an American woman, a Mrs. Moody, from whom he obtained 350 dollars; General Bineau, whom he robbed of 100,000 francs, and several other equally large sums.