"PRINCE OF FINANCE" ARRESTED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 23 January 1907, Page 4

"PRINCE OF FINANCE" ARRESTED.

ACCUSED OK KKJ-il'IM! A LONDON "lIU'KKT Ijllol'." Paris, December .">. An uumous ■ ■-( nation has l )( en t: 'li'-r.l in Parisian sociotv liv the aires: <•{ Philippe Smieoni'do'h'icrcs, a I'-.-nniMMi!- Paris bunker, wiici is char-': i-il willi swindling IVniee l-"r,-<i.-i-;,*-l<. Charles of Uohcnloi.e. a iii-jj!u'iv of the former Herman Clmneel'or. Tim lian kcr's clerk, Dixiiiii-v, lias al-;u been arrested.

M, do Fleres .lived in inngiriieeiit sc\le. spending .130,01)0 u yc;ir. lie lia.l a number of aristocratic friends, anil was a prominent figure in tin' highest social circles, lie kept, fine houses at Biarritz, Dcauvilie anil Mont,' Carlo. Ho lnul also a spacioiii country house near I'jii'i.s, anil u-i'il <o give special receptions in liis luxuii ous Parisian Hal opposite tin.' Opera.

.M. de Fleres is an Italian liy birth, but lie lived in Paris for many years, and is a member of a good eiuh beie -tee Coix'.o des Deux Mondcs, wlfch i- much frequented liy princes of tin ante. He is a Knight of the Crown of Italy, and an intimnle I'vienil of Hi' son'of the Marquis lie iliiiiini. end lie I'rinc de Uraglie-Rcvel.

Some of the aristocratic cJien's were ihe Marquis de Castrja, the Me.rqns de (lanay, and Prince Orloil-all of whom are '.-aid to have lost large sums of money tliroiij.li the operations .ol his firm.

I'rinee Fredi-riek—aeeording to his Ml.icilor's statement—sw-t ,M. de l'/eres at Monte Carlo, and biv.anu| very friendly with nini. The banker is a man of very winning manners., and on his advice the Prince entered into a speculation in shares of the Pekin Syndicate.

The hanker was supposed hj buy the shares through three firms of London stock-brokers, and the Prince leeched account of the purchase of the shares and further accounts showing that lie was losing considerable sums of money. He paid M. do Fleres £70,000 in all, but hearing stories made inquiries. He discovered that the linns through which the banker pre tended to have made the purchases of the Prince in London wore merely creations of the Italian banker's vivid imagination, and that tire, only correspondent Ihe hanker had in London way. his clerk Dixniier. He therefore laid an inloruiation, and 51. de Fleres and Dixniier were arrested here todav. The offices of F. S. de Fleres and Co. were closed to day, hut one of the clerks was in attendance, and he declared that M. de Fleres would be able to justify his transactions with the Prince.