THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, , SUNDAY: HORNING, NOVEMBER " J, 1908 '
SeMlN OF JD5Tiei
RUINED 13,000 FAMILIES
AND. SWINDLED HIS KING
WHILE PLAYING A
DOUBLE PART ,
1 BIOmv A Jwfo A.JiS
u of partly build, dressed in the
t height of fashion, wearing a silk hat m
and carrying a Cane, walked through
the doors of the police headquarters in Co
penhagen. . ,
llf passed leisurely up the broad hall-.
jvay and stopped at the door of the chief de
tective inspector. He entered without knock
ing. As he appeared a number of police offi-,
tials and detectives bowed profoundly. ''
"Good morning" said former Minister
if Justice Alberti, cordially extending his
hand. A visit from the former cabinet min
ister, who on his retirement from office some
weeks before had beenecdraied ByKtng
Frederick with the highest honor in Den
mark, was unprecedented. The officials were
almost dazed. ' . -;f
"I wish to speak to you, blandly de.
dared the impressive former minister gra
ciously. "By all means'." The' officer led the
tcay. into an inner office.
Seating himself comfortably in a leather
tovered chair, removing his hat and slowly
feeling oft his gloves, the former, dignitary
Spoke slowly, calmly, gently:
"Listen. Vve come tdgive myself up.
I am ruilty of fraudand forgery," he smiled
cheerfullyj,f "See.He produced a receipt
from a bank for bonds worth $2,500,000,
, and added: "Those signatures are forged.
I'm caught like a gentleman.'
The official was daed. Mechanically he
i iummoned an officer and former Minister of
." Justice Alberti, once the most powerful man
tn Denmark, the friend of King Frederick and
the trusted confidant of the Danish Premier
:, Christesen, was placed under arrest.
' And before that evening there thunder
. jrif to atoms in Denmark the reputation of
the revered politician and banker; the people
.learned that he who. should have protected
the public, who of all men should have been
honest, had embezzled and robbed to an ex
tent of from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000, had
ruined 15,000 families, and that of the 40,-
i)00 persons who had suffered through his
crooked deals, his king had lost a half mill-
. ton dollars.
N ALL history few men who stood so high in
power and public opinion have o grossly abused
their opportunities and the trust reposed tn them
,. Peter Adler Alberti, member for seven years
tf the Danish cabinet and the especial favorite of
- King Frederick VIII.
Few men In a single lifetime -have enjoyed such a
tremendous popularity and later been overwhelmed
'.. with such abuse and public execration.
. . No than In Denmark is today more reviled tharr
the former minister. No man is so hated because
Alberti robbed the poor. Most of the depositors in
the Peasants' Savings Bank, of which Alberti was
president, were peasants and farmers. There is no
hope of restitution, because the' money was irre
trievably leL
X few days before hit arrest Alberti was the hon
ored guest at the banquet board of his king. There
: be enjoyed the royal smiles and royal favor and all
the while knew his reputation was atjfiut . to .crash
Into frightful ruin about him.
For seven years a member of the DAnish cabinet,
Alberti became the chief political powey in his coun
try. A man of tremendous ingenuity arid great Intel-'
leet, he conducted movements, won the support of
both radicals end conservatives, and introduced laws
f benefit to the nation.
People honored him, the -poor loved hint. In some
quarter however, Ms doom was not unexpected, for
certala -of the newspapers had attacked htm for
years. Their attacks were not popular, however, and
were retarded as mere"elambr."l -
Te show his disbelief In the reports of Albertl s
wrongdoing, several weeks before hie disgrace, be
fore a great assemblage- and amid great pomp and
acclaim, the king conferred upon him the highest
tenet-at the disposal t -the throivs, - -L.', " .
When Alberti walked into the office of the police
Mtdauartere eod blandly announced hlsr wronrdotnc '
polio were stunned. When th nuhiin h...
of his confession t flrn they could not believe it
tfrap It comprehend It! And then when It dawned
upon them, and when his confession was verified, they
were staggered and bewildered.
It was learned that for fourteen years the most
honored man in Denmark had led a veritable Jekyll
and Hyde existence; that he had used his position for
the most daring, most unscrupulous forgeries; that
bis position as minister of Justice was used for pri
vate gaita, and that contraots for materials to be
used for public Improvements had been purchased at
exorbitant prices from his own firms.
What , his oVefalcatlons actually amount to has as
yet not been determined. Alberti himself estimates
them as from $2,750,000 to $4,150,000. There is a wide
"spread belief in Denmark that even the latter figure
will be exceeded.
As It now appears, Alberti was an opportunist.
Without any definite political opinions or any out
lined policy, he seized every opportunity for self-advancement,
falling in line now with one party and
then with the other,' acting aa moderator between the
opposing factions, and thereby winning a reputation
for level-headedness and sound business ability.
Alberti, now notorious as tfie meat daring and un
scrupulous forger of Europe, Is the Son of Krlstlan
Karl Alberti, a well-known and honored lawyer and
founder of the Peasants' Savings Bank.
In politics his father championed the interests of
th-e farmers and won their confidence. They became
customers of his bank, as did their sons after them.
Young Alberti took up the study and practice of law
f?T?
H
AVE you noticed something missing this
fall the usual crop of slang? That is,
real pood, striking, catchy slang words
and phrases.
ot for a number of years has the slang pro
duction been at such a low ebb. How little really
new and good lias been devisr.d by' phra.se or word
makers since last winter? Of course, one hears
on every side the "fine and dandy" miniature imi
tation of good slang, but how little else?
N1
EW slang terms are the life of new slang come
dies, as they enliven the streets. In a vay
they keep things going and preserve us from
mental indigestion.
There's something delightfully unconventional, a
suggestion of a freedom from the trite and hide
bound, in the use of slang. In the course of time
many slang words become invested with a certain
literary repute and become recognized as good Eng
llalu . .
For what "gets 'em going" so much as a happy wprd.
such as "rubber-neck" to the rubbers In a theater!
What delights the sentimentally Inclined as a "soft"
song wth lots of "gush" -words in It! What becomes
ao popular as a slang word, and who doubts hat "on
the bumy" as a term of description ."tickled" more
gentle folk, than Mr. Cleveland's correct "Innocuous
desuetude"?
But what is the matter with this season's sjang-.
makers? Have their brains . "petered out'?. Or. are
they taking a Aaoation? There have been almoVt So.
new and striking slang "wurruds" this fall. The slang
crop Is poor.
Are you interested In slang? Have yoi never real
ized that "four-flushing" Is a more contemptuous ex- '
pression for the "mutt" who cheats at cards than the
correct English adjective "unfair"! Or that to call
a man a "tight wad" Is more eloquent than to call
him "extremely economical"! And would you not like
better to "smash", a gentle enemy than merely to
-punch" him? . . .
- To tell some one that a friend Is "pinched Is to
rive a more comprehensive Idea of his plight than to
ay" he wasy merely 'placed .under arrest. " Slang is
usually terse and expressive. - -
Almost ejvery season new;sbrng words and phrases .
Ik. ..i.-.i X - , t I JT M
I; : 'Ik- W :.,
'-csrl
I ' ' M f 'O' ill
and when a young man organized a .fire insur
ance company.
A desire for wealth filled' him. The fever of gam
Ming got into his veins. He wished to become the
greatest power, financial and political, of Denmark.
His life was directed toward this goal; every oppor
tunity that might further his ambitions was utilized.
His attention to business was absolute; he labored In
defatlgably. He won the honor and 1 confidence of
people and success.
In the Interests of his lire " Insurance company
Tl)T tF Woo To
IT ,.ASl '
LK AT
STRAW -
rAkTcHtp
MAYO lj DAT S PooR
cpme Into favor. But how It seems the supply la
exhausted. Many of the words so popular a few years
ago are already lost in the mists of the past.
One does not hear the expression. "O slush." nearly
so much as one did four years ago. Even, "O piffle,"
is losing favor. "Set the hook" arave way to "twenty
three, skldoo," and even now this eloquent term la
.losing ground.
Many old slang terms .have become recognized by
the dictionary authorities. In the sixteenth cenuiry
a "blackguard" was i a menial who traveled with a
lord and carried smoky utensils. Once a person who
talked grandiloquently was said to use "bom
bast." which meant literally cotton waddingtusen to
pad hosiery of that early period. It Is now a rec
ognised term in English. Other old slang words which
by usage have been made proper are "cockney," "top.'V
"grit," "dude",. and "sand.
Slang has always been favored hy the "loldles
snd "gents" of the "dramatic profeah." Once the term
"greenroom'' -was slang, because in early days this
Albert! was compelled to make frequent trips to Lon
don, and there. It Is said, began to play the stock
market.
About the time' he hegan to speculate in the Lon
don stock market he developed political aspirations.
"This was about 1892. The reform party was then
gathering force and Alberti saw his opportunity. He
became the leader.
Opponent after opponent lie vanquished, and he
was swept Into office years ago. He was appointed a
deputy and advocate In the 'Supreme Court. He pur
chased a newspaper and became the most powerful
onlitician In Denmark. To his credit it must be said
miinv beneficial laws were trutiua uiiuuiu
agency, and when. In 1901, he was appointed to the
cabinet and made minister of justice he carried out
many reforms.
Meanwhile, as he rose to power and won the ab
solute confidence of the king, he had been unscrupu
lously gambling with the people's money. Wild
plunges were made In the Paris and London markets,
and. almost invariably, he lost.
His method, according to his confession, was to
take bonds from the safe of fils savings bank and
deposit them In other banks, thereby getting ad
vances on them. Loans were made on this basis In
London and Paris; only a few weeks before his dis
grace Alberti tried to raise a large sum of money In
London.
Big sums were advanced to Alberti by m.any man-
waiting-room was painted green. A theatrical failure
was called a "fiasco" a slang term which originated
in the Italian phrase "far fiasco." meaning te make
flask, for glassNowers would make flasks. Instead of
flowers, of faulty glass.
An "angel" came to mean the kind gentleman
backing a play, and the "heavy," the actor wh played
villainous parts. An actress who "turned down" a
suitor might also be said to "give him the cold shoul
der," or "the Icy stare." Or he may have been "cut
out" by a deadly rivaU Or the .fair lady may have
"put her foot" on his aspirations. Aqd when he was
told to "cheese it," in sheer despair he may have
gone to a "Joy shop" and got "tight," after which
probably he "went on the water wagon."
Where and how some of these slang terms originate
must and will remain a mystery. That they have an
humble origin among clever denlsens of a vvorld un
used to dictionary learning cannot be doubted.
Big boy may "kick over the traces," "work a bunco
game" on ah "easy mark" and get "caught with the
goods," and sent to "college." After a financial, panlo
a broker may be "cleaned" out," and will be spoken
"of as being "on his uppers" or a "dead one." He
may- have "cold feet" and "keep out of the game," or
he may again "butt In," "take a plunger" and "make .
good." . ' '
A "fly" hubby may find that hla better half Intends
to "make It hot for him" if he doent turn over a
ntw leaf, and ever thereafter may ""walk the chalk m
line." His friends will tear you' that the Vmlssas" has!
him "under her thumb." TJle son may go .to college
and "sow his wild oats," and after havlnaj a "hot
' time" at school return home "all broken up, and
learning by experience, may "cut out" the fellows and
-"buckle do.wn" to work. .
But few of these terms of description are new.
Flnce the ""twenty-three, skldoo," what has really-
coma In the delectable woria or sisngc
been "nothing doing." Ths slang-makers seem to be
fon the blink." Ther better -"spruce up ana
out few." , . I! '
"hand
t '
kid?
ufacturlng enterprise and from friends, even from i
King Frederick himself. ,
Charges were first made against Alberti many years
ago In the "Polltiken." the leading journal of Co
. penhagen. These attacks were long continued and '
bitter,' but people paid little attention to Vlggo
Hoerup, the editor. For was not Alberti a minister,
the confidant and adviser of the king? When Hoerup
died Henrfic Cavllng took the editorship and con
tinued the opposition to the minister. Still the public-did
not believe.
Then somehow the editor got some one in sym
Dathy with him Into Albertl'a bank as director. The v
1 k"" -
ner editor, ana nnaiiy revelations leanea uui urn
something was wrong with the bank.
There were accusations, too, that Alberti used
his position for private gain. Charges were made
thdt materials for public Improvements were pur
chased from hla own companies, that because of his
policies real esHate speculators were able to make
money, which was shared with Alberti, and that, fur-
thermore, he was behind lottery companies operating
In defiance of the laws of the country.
Formal charges were framed against him, but be
cause of the.frlendshlp and confidence of J. C. Chrla
tensen, Danish premier. Investigations were deterred.
Last June Alberti resigned his portfolio on the pre
text of 111 health. It was accepted, and the king, to
show his confidence in his favorite. In the face of
changes, conferred spon him an honor never given
to any but retiring premiers and made him a mem
ber of the board of the Great Northern Telegraph
Company. ......
In the face of such confidence what could the peo
ple do? What could they believe? Alberti was a
hero, a man grossly calumnied, and his accusers
found themselves more unpopular than ever.
Alberti -himself, alone In his palatial home, saw"
the structures of bis ambitions tottering down about
him. He foresaw the inevitable disclosures that must
come when the officials of the hank made their in
vestigations. Here was a man who had reached an apex of pow
er. His wprd with his party had been taken without
fjuestlon. Laws were passed at his dictation. To htm
the king confided his secrets and plans, as the king's
father, Christian, had done .before-him. He had been
the sponsor of reforms. He had become the idol of
the people". Now ha was about to lose their respect
and love, and become the most vilely execrated man
In the' country. , ,
" HONORED IN OTHER LANDS
The day before he left the ministerial buildings
honors were conferred upon him by Oreece, Norway
and Germany.' His name shone before men, yea, be
fore the nations! That he would soon be branded as
a scoundrel, an embezzler, one of the most notorious
and despicable of the age did this cause him an
guish during the long nights?
Whfi can tell? - .
He stood high in the church; his charities were
many. He was soon to bear the ignominy, pf a man who
robs iha poor of their savings. His friends still ral
lied to his defense; the king had Invited him a few
days before to a meeting of the Royal Shooting Club,
where he eat next yie monarch.' What was to be
.done? During all the time when charges were made
' against him he had preserved a calm demeanor, his
eloquent defense of himself had disarmed all-suspicion.
But now. the fatal day had come, '. . '
Morning dawned and Albert!, dressed in his best,
entered an automoBlle and drove to the police build
ing. That afternoon the Inspector of savings banks
closed' his Institution. Before the Stock Exchange of
Copenhagen closed the news of the appalling con
fession of defalcation was' known. That night while
the streets of the capital were thronged with people
while frenzied men and Women who had lost their
all wandered the streets, howling curses upon the
man: they had trusted, Alberti sat in his cell, the cab
inet held, a meeting and. later resigned a cloud of
dishonor upon It. '
- About thirty years ago Albertl's only brother left
U6niir umuK si wa. impircaiea in irauas. Alber
tls divorced Tin i
s now the wife of Peter Corneous,
.-the Danish tenor.
V: