FRENCH ADVENTURESS' AMAZING CAREER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3213, 12 June 1909, Page 3

FRENCH ADVENTURESS' AMAZING CAREER.

"A COUNTRY OP DUPES."

The French police have just laid by the heels an adventuress who has long been wanted by them. She 13 a woman of fine presence, and was (says the "Londun Telegraph") known to her intimate friends as "Son Altftssa Royale la Gross-e Melie." Emilie had set herselt to make dupes and a fortune, and when she drove down the Avenue deu Bois de Boulogue, arrayed in gorgeous costumes and seated in a fine carriage drawn by a pair of spanking horses, her coachman and footman being in verv correct livery, people turned j round to gaze at her in admiration, wondering who she might be. She contrived to impress the tradesmen whom she honoured with a visit to such an extent that they forwarded all goods the which she condescended to-order to her abode without hinting at very punctual payment, and when tney sent their bills round they found to their consternation that she had flitted. The handsome equipage was simply hired, and each of her furnished fiats was only taken for the brief space of a week, so that she experienced no difficulty in moving about. Tradesmen were completely dazzled. When Emilie walked into their establahrr.ents with a dignified air her servants settled her obsequiously in a chair, and as she inspected jewellery, lace, furs, and other luxurious articles she frequently exclaimed that they were very gnod, but were I hardly suitable to a person of her | exalted position. So when it last she deigned to accept something which, after all, as she observed, was not too inferior, the luckless shopkeeper was in high delight, and humbly escorted the princess, the marquise, or the American millionaire, for such she gave herself out to be, to her carriage, with a profusion of bows. At last the complaints of her numerous dupes Jed to a warrant being issued for her arrest, whereupon "La Grosse Mele" went off a little further than a newly-furnished flat, and betook herself to foreign parts. This was in November, but with the approach of spring and the season. Emilie felt a longing to return to the gay city. She accordingly came back to Paris, but took up her abode with a female friend, dwelling on a remote boulevard, and only sallied forth at night, her face hidden by a thick veil—another "vieled lady." So, grea f was her surprise when the police who had somehow discovered her whereabouts, called in the early morning and took her into custody; but she soon recovered her spirits, and when she was questioned by M. Hamard. the chief of the Criminal Detective Department, she gave full vent to her mirth. "Ah!" she exclaimed, laughing until tfie tears ran down her rosy cheeks; "what a beautiful country France is! What a country of dupes! When they thought that they had a Royal Highness for a customer the tradesmen were ready to entrust all their goods to me, and their shops into the bargain. It is true that I was stylish, and would have dazzled all the diplomatists at the European Courts." Then she went on to relate that, although bhe was not a Royal Highness, she had lived royally with the | money derived from the sale of the goods sent to her by too-confiding shopkeepers. Emilie had not much , cash about her, but M. /Hamard had ascertained that she lately pawned various valuable articles in London. She is now at the Saint Lazare Prison, and under the same roof as Mme. Steipheil.