Henry Wikoff
BiographyHenry Wikoff (c. 1812–April 28, 1884), known as the Chevalier Wikoff, was an American traveler, writer, and diplomat who may have the dubious honor of being the original inspiration for the phrase “confidence man” (later shortened in popular usage to “con man”).
He was born in Philadelphia, the illegitimate son of a doctor who owned Blockley Township, Pennsylvania. Despite his birth status, he (supposedly) inherited a sizable fortune which enabled him to travel extensively in Europe. He graduated from Union College in 1831 and then attended the College of New Jersey without earning a degree. He was (supposedly) admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania in 1834, whereupon he immediately left for Europe where he (supposedly) acted as a diplomatic agent (spy) for the United States, Britain, and France. He was (supposedly) responsible for the successful tour by famous dancer Fanny Elssler in 1840. This is where he originally earned the sobriquet “confidence man” by (supposedly) depleting the dancer’s fortune through some sort of breach of trust. In 1852, after a sensational trial in front of the High Court of Genoa, he and a conspirator, Frenchman Louis Vannaud, were sentenced to 15 months in prison for (supposedly) attempting to force an heiress, Miss G. C. Gamble, into marriage in order to gain access to her fortune. Wikoff later became a close friend of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, which also created some scandalous gossip.
He was friendly with the Bonaparte imperial family in France and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor by Napoleon III, which gave him the title of Chevalier (Knight), and was made Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic by the King of Spain in 1871. He acted as an undercover reporter for the New York Herald, making use of his presence in government circles. He (supposedly) died in comfortable circumstances in Brighton, Sussex, England, although other sources have him dying in poverty in the U. S.
Bibliography
Napoleon Louis Bonaparte, First President of France (1849)
My Courtship and Its Consequences (1855)
The Adventures of a Roving Diplomatist (1857)
Memoir of Ginevra Guerrabella (1863)
The Reminiscences of an Idler (1880)
Other links
Mr. Lincoln’s White House
Wikipedia