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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1915)
6 THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JUNE 13, 1915. - v - t .v - A GRANDE TIIERKSEr I Thus the Parisians dubbed " Mine. Frederic Humbert, who on the strength of a fictitious fortune of $20,000,000, supposed to be concealed In a great safe In her bedroom, bor rowed right and left from great bank ers and obscure Individuals money that enabled her to live in magnificent style and play a prominent part in the social life of Paris. Litigation was the instrument by means of which lime. Humbert's credit was maintained and the exposure of her fraud deferred. For more than a MADAME, HDMHE32.T AND EFJS. COUNSEJL, AN APPEE CIAXXON: OF .A. HUtlOBOUS POINT, 4 $ if s V 4 k person ever having been there. The Crawfords' appeal was thereupon quashed, on the ground that they had made false declaration of domicile. Mme. Humbert etill refused to touch score of years this woman maintained the money. that there existed two brothers, Robert It was one of the most curious cases and Henry Crawford, whose suits and that had ever come up in the French counter suits prevented the opening of courts or agitated society Wherever the safe, the vacuity of which would people met the question was asked: have at once balked la grande Therese "Now, what Is at the bottom of the af- Jn her ambitious projects and con- faire Humbert?" signed her to deserved punishment. The Crawford brothers apparently At a date never definitely fixed and not only had no residence but they be in a place which the French authori- longed to no clubs and were never seen ties never Identified, one Henry Robert by any one, not even their own law Crawford, an American, was supposed yers. to have died and left his fortune, es- The Humbert family lived in a mag timated at $20,000,000, to Mile.- Therese nificent hotel In the Avenue de la d'Aurlgnac. She married Frederic Grande-Armee. He was an advocate Humbert, a law student, and was and a one-time Deputy for the Depart about to enjoy her fortune when she ment of Seine-et-Marne and son of the unexpectedly received one day the vis- late Mr. Humbert, a Minister of Jus its of Henry and Robert Crawford, tice, vice-president of the Senate and who Informed her that they were the president of the Cour des Comptea. nephews of Henry Robert Crawford She was a member of a poor and ob and produced a will dated September scure family In the south of France, 6. 1877, at Nice. This will read: neighbors of the distinguished Hum- "This is my testament. I wish that berts. After she married Frederic they after my death all I possess should, be went to Paris to live near the elder divided into three parts one-third for Humbert, who, when he became Min Marie d'Aurlgnac, one-third to " my ister of Justice, made his son his first nephew, Henry Crawford, and one- assistant. In this position Mme. Hum third to my nephew, Robert Crawford, bert decided that they must make a under condition that these latter place better social showing. As a young in France a capital sufficient to pro- girl she had Invented for herself mod duce a life annuity for Therese d'Au- est fortunes supposed to be inherited rignac of 30,000 francs per month. from maiden ladies, but she had never "H- R. CRAWFORD." realized any substantial result. With The Crawford brothers informed her father-in-law In the Cabinet, she Mme. Humbert that as they already created the Crawfords to serve her possesssed a large fortune, they did more ambitious purpose, not want theii uncle's money, but were The story that she told about the anxious to carry out hi3 wishes, which enormous fortune which was in her were to unite the Crawford and d'Au- possession but could not be touched rignac families by marriage. One of won general credence. It was apprecl- them was therefore willing to marry ated that she must have large sums of her at once, but when she pointed out money to. pay for the litigation made that rhe was already married the pro- necessary by the eccentric Crawfords, posal was transferred to her sister, and she had no difficulty In borrowing Marie. As she was only a schoolgirl, millions of francs. It was said that they said they would wait until she several banks in Paris and many was grown. Meanwhile they appoint- financiers of note lent her funds. Ra- ed Mme. Humbert guardian of the for- paclous money-lenders were only too tune, which was to be invested in French rentes. From the revenues each year she was to take 365,000 francs, which were to cone to her in any case; the remaining capital and accrued interest were to go to her sis ter on her marriage. The arrangement was agreed to, an iron safe was purchased and in it were placed in sealed envelopes the great Crawford fortune. This fortune Mme. eager to make loans for whatever Humbert declared to be still intact 20 happened, was she not heiress to years afterward. millions? When Mile. d'Aurlgnac arrived at From living In a small way with her majoroty she showed a disincllna- judgments against them for unpaid tion to carry out the part assigned her tradesmen's bills. the Humberts in the contract between her sister and launched out Into the most luxurious the Crawford brothers. The Craw- style of jjvlng. The hotel in the Ave- fords, on their side. Insisted that she nue de a Grande-Armee was sumptu- be compelled to marry one of them. If ously furnished. In It were costly she failed to do so they threatened to paintings, valuable antiques and rare break the agreement that had been curios. Their servants were numerous maae Deiween mem ana Mme. Hum- and the Humbert equipages oeri. mis contract nan not Deen among the finest in Paris, made by a lawyer, but Mme. Humbert They aiso -had a country estate, the appealed to the French courts to have Chateau des Vives Eaux, a farm in it ratified, and for years Judgment af- Celeyran. an estate in Tunis and a box ter Judgment was delivered, every arti- at the opera costing J6000 a year. Mme. flee of the law being resorted to by Humbert was neither pretty nor dls the Crawfords to drag the case along, tlnguished looking, but she dressed until in the highest court of the land, weu and was received In sooiety. The the Court of Cassation, :t was decided families of President Carnot and Presl thp.t the transaction between the two dent Felix Faure were on terms of in parties was perfectly legal and that on timacy with her. Mme. Humbert's en payment of I.200.CCO francs Mme. Hum- tire family shared in the prosperitj bert was entiUed to the fortune of created by the mythical Crawford mil- 100.000,000 francs. liona the alster. who was an Int.rf.t. When the Crawfords began to con- iDg figure because she was said to have test the validity of their own arrange- refused to make a mercenary marriage radiance of her magnificent Jewels, but ment. instead of asking to have the Wuh one of the Crawfords, and her two it developed later that she was other disputed fortune placed In chancery brothers, who spent money lavishly, wise engaged. Her brother Emile and and to have an official receiver, they some persons may have doubted that h'a wife were there Instead. The stipulated that Mme. Humbert should the wealth was as real as it appeared to Humberts had hastened to their home be constituted the legal guardian of be. but nearly everyone was in so deep, i the Avenue de la Grande-Armee and the $20,000,000, that the money should socially or financially, that he dared burned the forged papers representing be invested in 3 per cent French not force the issue, and more money th Crawford fortune. Then Madame rentes, that Mme. Humbert alone was lent and more concessions were nad snt her housekeeper with some should receive the quarterly interest made in the hope that the litigation Jewels to the Mont de Piete, realizing on thU stock and that she should In- would end and that the millions of "la on them $8600. Leaving money for the vest this interest in rentes and add to grande Therese" would be applied to Payment of the servants Mme. Humbert it the original capital. The cashing of the settlement of her accounts. announced that she and her family the quarterly coupons was to be done The catastrophe came about through were leaving for their farm, and were through a broker whose name was not the Insistence of a creditor, Mr. Morel. not seen afterward. to be disclosed in the presence of tne whose demand that the safe be opened The safe was opened Mey 9. but Crawfords. was met by the decision of a Judge sit- nothing was found except an empty When Mme. Humbert was confirmed ting in chahbers to receive the repre- Jewel case, a few envelopes and a stone by the court in her right to the money sentatives of both sides on a certain of little value. Crowds had collected she had doubts whether she had the evening. The appeal of Mr. Morel 'n the avenue and pressed against the right to take the 1.200,000 francs from asked also for the seizure of the bonds wall to watch the arrival of the law tue fortune left her by Crawford. Had and securities composing the Crawford yers, detectives and officials who were sne not undertaken to keep the fortune estate, said to be In the safe. In op- expected to enter the exclusive man intact, and If she pajd this sum might position, the legal representative of the slon and preside at the opening of the not the nephews again bring suit Crawford brothers produced a letter iron safe which had so long been the against her? signed by A, M. Muller. their secretary. "repository of the great Crawford for- She once more appealed to the courts objecting: to the opening: of the safe and was authorized to pay the 1,200.- and the Inventory of the court. Counsel 000 francs. The Crawfords Immedl- for Mme. Humbert and her sister made ately appealed from this decision and objections, but finally consented to an a further period of litigation ensued, inventory of the securities of the Craw ln all these discussions the Crawfords for estate being made at Mme. Hum never appeared and apparently had no berjs residence by the President, one leal residence. Sometimes they were of the members of the Chamber of No alleged to be at a hotel in London, taries and Mr. Morel. again at Nice or at Havre. Only The Judge thereupon ordered the in- twlce were their precise addresses ventory to be made May 9. 1902. This given. One of these turned out to be gave two days' notice to the Humberts in Central Park and the other the Gil- and d'Aurignacs. It was reported that sey House, In New York, where the Mme. Humbert went to the opera that books showed no record of any sucb evening and sat in her box in all the Jl -a H "Tin. t SS JL t-y I 3 jm'-, 4 - Tracer jprssai -JNA n time be -was the most-courted mas in France, lint turaufh the failure of nla project thousands vrere bankrupted.) and there were four other Judges. Mme. Humbert, who appeared scornful and defiant, was defended by Maitre Labor!, tha celebrated counsel for Dreyfus. His client frequently inter- Children and Fires i XPERIMENTS conducted by the City of Rochester N. Y., indicate rupted the reading of the indictment that much can be done toward fire with derisive exclamations and when prevention by an educational campaign. asked where she lived replied "In prison." She attempted to waive Labori aside and insisted on directing her own case. Amid the sceptical laughter of the spectators she maintained her hon esty. Even the Judge smiled, and La bori commented: "It is a good sign In 1904 fire destroyed approximately $?,000.000 worth of property in Roches ter; in 1904 the loss was $800,000, and in 1914 only $454,000. during which time a prevention campaign was in progress. The Rochester plan empha- the importance of interesting when the court laughs, for then the Ejzes . - . . and using children In the preventive In suramins up for his client Labori L said that the testimony had not been work- The Chamber of Commerce, sufficient to convict Mme. Therese which is fostering the campaign in Humbert of any specific act of fraud conjunction with the municipal author- or swindling, but had consisted of Hies, realizing the advantages of ob- rather vague allegations that the taining the co-operation of children Crawfords did not exist nor the mil- because of their usually plastio and lions. It was insufficient for the receptive minds and their usefulness prosecution to demand "Where are the in spreading preventive ideas to their millions?" It was incumbent upon the elders, took particular pains to interest prosecution to establish affirmatively school children. A committee of prln- that the Crawfords and the millions clpals and teachers worked out courses did not exist. He further insisted that in fire and accident prevention. "There the entire prosecution proceeded from i8 much in each of these courses." says the idea that a huge swindle existed the Board of Education, "that can be and that It was necessary for the Hum- used to advantage in the work of hy- berts to prove their innocence, whereas giene and physiology. There are also were "VUi- I 1 f J S J I . Vi. J 1 VX--rTw it was required of the prosecution that it prove them specifically guilty. Then the famous lawyer in his most impressive manner asked the court: "Suppose the existence of a terrible se cret, of which Mme. Therese Humbert learned a part three or four years ago; suppose the Crawfords bore a name so hateful to men that it would scandalize your patriotism; suppose Mme. The rese's father, uniting with the Craw fords to conceal the source of the for tune, destroyed the fill which betrayed it and preserved only an agreement to sequestrate the securities; suppose Mme. Therese, having infringed a sin gle condition of the agreement, found herself between the importunate cred itors and the possessors of the secret and was obliged to hand over the mil lions to the latter because the condition was Infringed; suppose the Crawford brothers, fearing that the fortune would be seized, refused to produce it May 7, casting in Mme. Therese's teeth the whole truth of the hateful name; suppose she hurried to other portions that can be used to ad vantage in languages and that will reinforce the work of civics." The lessons are of the most practical nature. At some schools bonfires are built on the playground, the fire gong is sounded and the pupils assemble outside to witness the use of fire ex tinguishers. They are operated first by a trained fireman and then by one of the children. Contests are arranged between the boys at some schools to determine who can extinguish a fire in the shortest time, thus Inculcating a familiarity with the devices likely to be of value in real emergencies. School fire drills are brought to a high degree of efficiency, a point being made of sounding the fire gong when the din of fire apparatus is heard In the neigh borhood of the school or when smoke is accidentally forced through the ven tilators. A "cleanup week" is a yearly feature of the general fire prevention work Bordeaux, which is linked with the school work. The city is divided into sections to be inspected. The downtown territory Is covered by the prevention and public health committees of the chamber, and the outlying and residence districts are visited by Boy Scouts and other school children. The children do not enter premises or admonish tenants, but re port bad conditions, which reports with the recommendations of the chamber where she expected to find the younger committees are brought to the en Crawford, and then to Madrid, seek- tion of city fire marshal or the healttt lng the man whose telegram would place millions in the safe and, falling to find him, lost her head completely? Then all becomes plain.' The court refused to accept this bureau. As a result of such activities the secretary of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce says. In the American City. that a further decrease in the fire loss pleasing hypothesis and the Humberts is expected Indianapolis News. CRAWFQPP 3AX -fix aft. ft tune. It was a dramatic awakening from the dreams of fabulous wealth in which all Paris had been indulged. It was thought at first that '' the Humberts had gone to Dieppe and thence to England, but pursuit in this direction led into a blind alley. The port of New York was watched, icnd officials hung about the piers watching every incoming steamship, but no one answering the description of the miss ing culprits arrived. There were ru mors from time to time from almost every country in South America that the Humberts and their relatives were to be found there, but they always proved to be false. While they were being sought for in distant places the Humberts and d'Aurignacs were all the time living in seclusion in Madrid. It was more than six months after the opening of the safe that they were betrayed. Elab orate preparations were made for their arrest. A cordon of police was drawn abor'. the house a wise pre caution, for as soon as the inmates found that they were threatned with capture they tried to escape by the rear windows. All were rounded' up, however Frederic Humbert, his wife, their daughter. Eve, and the three d'Aurignacs. On making an inventory of the house the police found Jewels valued at $2000, some lottery tickets and $115 in cash all that was left of the millions that the Humberts had borrowed, except for a package con taining several thousand dollars which had been handed to some persons liv ing in the same house, which was af terward turned over to the French consulate, and $850 found in the pock ets of the several members of. the party. The man who had informed the au thorities of the hiding place of the Humberts got a reward of $5000 and the Prefect who made the arrest re ceived the congratulations of the King of Spain. All the circumstances of the transfer of the prisoners to France were veiled In secrecy. The public was not Informed to what prison they were to be taken and a special train bore them to their destination under a strong guard of detectives. The mem bers of the family were separated and not permitted to communicate with one another. were found guilty and sentenced to five years solitary confinement, Emile d'Aurlgnac to two years and Romain d'Aurignac to three years. Mme. Humbert made a speech in the course of which she announced that the real name of Crawford was Regnler, the Intermediary between Prince Bismarck and Marshal Bazalne at the time of the surrender of Metz. The fortune was made during the war of 1870 by reinvestments in rentes, which were then low and. of which a great quantity were purchased. After being condemned to death by court martial Regnler had disapeared. This was entirely discredited. Her rambling statements irritated the Jurors, and it was said that she had prejudiced her case by Insisting on taking matters into her hands. Wealth of Russia's Czar THE topic of great riches never grows tiresome. Persons whose means are easily summed up and whose financial ideas are in due pro portion vague, talk glibly of million aires, or milliardlaires. Of course, fan tastic advice as to proper investments and fit disposal never fails to be ut tered, with "that's what I should do if." The wealthy themselves conscienti ously avoid the theme. Thus we hear of the Rockefeller ac cumulations,, of the Astor, Carnegie, Vanderbilt. Gould fortunes, knowing little of the care and foresight and re sponsibilities attached to their man- airflment Besides, almost every day Even after the principals had been hr,nfi.. to tna lllrht of DUblicltv estates Incarcerated In prison the "affaire runnlns lnto millions. Into tens of When brought to trial Mme. Hum- Humbert" continued to cast forth the (1Hn bert assumed an attitude ot virtuous hreath of scandal In high places. The Tne other evening, entertained on Indignation and bitterly attacked the Chamber of Deputies reopened the case thls subject for some time, a well ln usurers, calling them the cause of her to investigate the prominent person- forrned Russian could'curb his patience ruin. This was a popular pose, as a.ges concerned In It. Public docu- no longer and interrupted wltiK everyone sympathizes with the victims ments were published showing that the "Should my little father be entirely of Shylocks. The first trial was Dowager Queen of Spain, the one-time for&otten? The Romanoff family might brought on the charge of Mr. Cattani, President M. Casimir-Perler; the one- easlly ciaim precedence over all you a banker, whom Mme. Humbert classed tlm8 President F. Faure and Mme. haVft mentioned. In his own right the with the usurers. She was acquitted. Faure; President Loubet, members of Czar of aU the Russians has posses the evidence failing to show bad faith th Ministry, members of Parliament Blons investments probably the match on the part of the accused. "At last and distinguished literary men had had of th'ose of any other man. His allow the voice of Justice is heard!" ejacu- relations with the Humberts, although ance you would call it salary, from the lated Mme. Humbert fervently when these were of an Innocent character. It treasury per annum nobody knows, she heard the verdict. was asserted, however, that the gov- WUn velrious additions it may reach Months passed before she waa ernment had not publlshel all the BOj00O,000 rubles. In his name stand the brought to trial again. This time she nameB- titles to 98 grand palaces, to more than promised to produce the mysterious The Humberts were released before j20 large estates; to churches, con Crawford brothers, and all that part their terms expired, Mme. Humbert be- vents, houses and farms innumerable, of Paris which still held that such per- ln ,n oor health and soon aftee los- a whole army of retainers, managers, sons might have a real existence was lng her reason. overseers are on the payroll, say 600, on tiptoe to see the wealthy and elus- Thus ended in poverty, obscurity and 000, without counting their dependents, ive and eccentric brothers. Many ex- misfortune the gigantic swindle con- There are more than 100,000 head of cursions were run to enable the popu- ceived by a woman of mediocre ability horned cattle, some 30,000 horses; piga lace to visit the Palais de Justice. One which Involved some of the most lllus- and sheep are counted into millions. He was' from Melun, the constituency rep- trions persons of the time, ruined In resented by Frederic Humbert In the stttutiona and individuals and was said Chamber of Deputies, and the district to have caused at least ten suicides, in which was located the famous Hum- bert chateau, with its extensive parks. Jolua Lair ana the Mlsalasippl and the lakes on which floated yachts Scheme -will be the subject of next and a fleet of gondolas. weefc's Installment. John law, a A force of municipal guards pre- Se.tcb.ma, became bead of the French served order in the courtroom. The . scene resembled that of the Dreyfus Treaanrr aad -ropo-ed a Kre.t scheme and Zola trials. The presiding Judge or d"11" with, the toantrr'i finances er's income need not be ashamed to was noted for his inflexible sternness ai(meoa private fortnnea. f ar stand in comparison. owns valuable mines in the Ural; many important - industrial establishments. When It is borne in mind that all his possessions are exempt from taxation a net revenue of another 50.000.000 would hardly be considered an over estimate. The purchasing value of a ruble (though only about one-half the Intrinsic) Is the same In Russia as that of the dollar in America. So our fath-