Chapter I: Front Matter

William Le Queux

THINGS I KNOW

THINGS I KNOW

ABOUT KINGS, CELEBRITIES,
AND CROOKS

BY
WILLIAM LE QUEUX

LONDON
EVELEIGH NASH AND GRAYSON
LIMITED
1923

_Copyright in the United States of America
by William Le Queux, 1923._

_All translation rights reserved._

_Made and Printed in Great Britain by
Southampton Times Limited, Southampton._

To
MY DEAR FRIENDS
SIR WILLIAM & LADY EARNSHAW COOPER,
OF CASTLE CAREY, GUERNSEY,
I DEDICATE
THESE FEW REMINISCENCES OF
A WANDERING LIFE.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. WHAT I KNOW ABOUT KINGS 13

II. MORE ABOUT KINGS 31

III. AMONG REAL BRIGANDS 44

IV. IN SAVAGE EUROPE 57

V. THE LOVE ROMANCE OF KING PETER OF
SERBIA 67

VI. SOME SECRET HISTORY 77

VII. EVENINGS WITH “CARMEN SYLVA,” QUEEN OF
ROUMANIA 91

VIII. WHAT THE SULTAN OF TURKEY TOLD ME 105

IX. SECRETS OF WELL-KNOWN WOMEN 121

X. OTHER STORIES OF NOTABLE WOMEN 131

XI. ADVENTURES: HUMOROUS AND CURIOUS 147

XII. ADVENTURES IN JOURNALISM 162

XIII. AMONG EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS 187

XIV. CRIMINALS I HAVE MET 204

XV. MORE CRIMINALS I HAVE MET 222

XVI. SPIES AND SPYING 235

XVII. ABOUT OTHER SPIES AND THE TRUTH
CONCERNING “JACK THE RIPPER” 258

XVIII. STORIES OF FAMOUS FOLK 273

XIX. ADVENTURES IN CLUBLAND 286

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

WILLIAM LE QUEUX _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
PRINCESS LUISA OF SAXONY 35

VATT MARASHI, CHIEF OF THE SKRELI BRIGANDS 59

THE BRIGAND WOMAN WHO CARRIED ON THE BLOOD
FEUD 59

PETKOFF, PRIME MINISTER OF BULGARIA 88

MY BRIGAND BODYGUARD IN NORTHERN ALBANIA 88

KING NICHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO 105

TEWFIK PASHA 105

MR. LE QUEUX HELPING THE FRENCH POLICE TO
EXCAVATE AT LANDRU’S VILLA 230

CRIPPEN, THE POISONER 230

EXTRACTS OF LORD ROBERTS’ FAMOUS LETTER OF
WARNING 247

CARICATURE OF WILLIAM LE QUEUX 299