6
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JUNE 13, 1915.
-
v - t
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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-