AN IMPUDENT IMPOSTOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1992, 9 January 1890, Page 4

AN IMPUDENT IMPOSTOR.

Melbourne, January 2. The London correspondent of the Argus reports that Dr. Murray,Roman Catholic Bishop of Maitland, N.S.W., had an unpleasant adventure in Rome. A tthe Minerva Hotel, the headquarters of English-speaking visitors to that cily, he made the acquaintance of a young and handsome ecclesiastic rejoicing in the aristocratic title of Monsignore le Prince DelatourD’Auvergne, Domestic Prelate to his Holiness the Pope.” They appear to have become remarkably friendly, and the Australian Bishop never entertained the remotest suspicion that his charming companion was any other than he represented himself to be, but one morning as they were walking together in the vicinity of the propaganda an agent of the police approached and to the horror of the Bishop of Maitland arrested Monsig note, and marched him off to prison. There he made full confession of his imposture, and declared that his real name was Michael Hallins, the son of poor people at Mauyile, Prance, As a student for the priesthood be was sent to the College of the Trappist Pathers at Yertagos, and there, by means of false keys, he succeeded in stealing 2600 florins from the treasury of that Institution, besides a gold watch and chain, and other unconsidered trifles. Then he fled to Marseilles and assumed his present style and title, and with reckless audacity proceeded to Rome and ruin. After a judicial examination be was returned to his cell, and a few hours afterwards the warder on duty found him dead, strangled by his own hands. He was only twenty-one years of age, but he acted his assumed part so well as to completely deceive Roman ecclesiastics of high rank in addition to the Australian Prelate, No more audacious imposture has been discovered in Rome since Sam Bishop was detected and ignominiously turned out of the Vatican Council in 1870.