New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-08
A CENTURY-OLD SUIT.
THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT NOT RESPONSE
BILE FOR THIERY'S MILLIONS

INST been brought TO an end By decree Of the
Council of State, without which IL might have
gone on indefinitely. For exactly hundred
wears it has been before the courts and even
before Parliament. without settlement. Certainly
no one can hiame the plaintiffs for their per-
sistence, when it is borne in mind that the bone
Of contention is worth about $l25,00o 900. How
much money they have spent in all these years
in litigation one can only conjecture; com
Portable fortune. probably, and now, at the end,
the ong-fought-for prize slips hopeessly and for
ever from their grasp.
This remarkable suit has its origin in the set
Element Of the estate of one Jean Tbiery, French
subject, who died at Venice lie left great
fortune, not less than 100000. About one
half of this was in cash, deposited in the Zecca, or
National Bank Of the Venetian Republic. where
il commanded interest at the rate of 3 per cent
Thiery Lequeathed his fortune 10 one branch OF
his family, residing in Champagne. The family
was numerous, and those who claimed to belong
to it were still more numerous. When the suis
was begun to recover the 100000 deposited
in the Zeccs, there was something more than
., 900 claimants. That was in 1891. The claim
ants brought their demand before the Constituents
Assembly. That body referred IL 10 the Tribunal
of the Seine The latter made formal demand
OH the Venetian Government for the money. The
Venetian Government replied that il would pay
over the whole sum as soon as the claimants, or
any of them, could prove the authenticity OF
their title TO it, With that natural condition
the claimants did not at that time comply
Then Bonapartes Italian campaign Of 1895
came on, and that commander was instructed by
the Directory to bring the Venetian Government
to an accounting You say wrote the Direc-
tory, that you have gone thoroughly into the
matter of Thiery's fortune, which amounts to an
immense sum. AS soon as it is in, your power to
do SO, order that the money, with all the docu-
ments concerning it, shall he handed over to
the French Part of it will serve your most
urgent needs. These negotiations came 10 moth
ing but Thierys heirs maintained that Bona
parte obtained possession of the treasure about
the middle of the following year, and quoted in
support of their statement an Official letter from
the Directory to the General, dated June s, 1897,
which read as follows: The Directory wrote
TO you, during the year ", TO claim the Thiery
fortune. which belonged TO French subjects.
Now the Venetian Government no longer exists;
the laws Of war have done justice TO it, all the
money is in our hands; the Arsenal and the Bank
aN in our power. and the French Republic has
a right to dispose OF them according to its good
will and pleasure"
got hold Of the money. the claimant thenceforth
looked to it for satisfaction. THE French Govern
ment has persistently refused to recognize the
Justice Of their claim, however. the ground that
the seizure of the public funds of Venice by the
French army did not saddle France with the debts
Of Venice The first negotiations had failed. and
subsequently, Bonaparte had entered Venice By
force and helped himself to a war indemnity Of
which no one had right to demand an account.
Moreover the agreement between Thiery and the
bank could not convey TO his heirs right OF
property with the deposit. 1t was a simple ques-
ton of debt. which, at the present DAY. would
come under the law of the five years Limitation.
The courts have always supported the State, ana
a Nine Cotton, who proved that she was a de-
scendant Of Thiery, was nonsuited in 1871, ana
the Judgment was confirmed on appeal. In 1873
she made fresh attempt and applied 70 tha
Minister of Finance, but received no Satisfaction
She then petiuoned Parliament which sent her
back to the Minister. but he and his SUCCESSORS
always refused TO recognize the claim. A proposal
was then made by NJ Frederic Passy, Deputy, that
an indemnity of 100000 should be allowed 10
Nine. Cotton, but was reported upon unfavorably
by N. Marmonier.
The report OF NJ Marmonier indeed changed
the whole aspect of the case. The claimants were.
he said ignorant people, who were The dupes Of
INSCRIPTIONS lawyers. The lawyers kept Turing
them on with hopes of great fortunes. and SO in
duced them to pay them all their earnings in fees
So the Thery fortune had become the pretext for
an incredible amount of intrigue and corruption
and it was desirable, for the sake of decency, 10
have it promptly and definitely settled. so the
Council OF State has at last done So 1t has thrown
the case OF all the claimants entirely out Of court
1t does not matter. and the Council does not In
quire. whether any Of the claimants are trus
heirs of Jean Thery. That does not affect the
ease Tn, suit cannot be pressed against the
French Government, because, although, after IN
vestigation Of the case it is TO be presumed that
Jean Thiery was, at the time Of his death, IN
1876. in the credit of the Bank of Venice, for a
sum placed there at interest, the plaintiff can
neither prove that the bank was still debtor
at the time of the occupation of the French army
in 1891 nor that there then any funds in
the bank appropriated 10 the payment of the debt
in question. Moreover. even if TIE plaintiffs al
legations were substantiated and the victorious
army did seize money placed in the public funds
of Venice this act Of would give the creditors
of the said funds ground for claim upon
the French Government.
A theft has just been brought home to a man by
means Of an egg. Some days ago. NJ. Douet.
pottery manufacturer, living in Rue Goudon, was
disagreeably surprised on returning from the
theatre with his family 10 find that his house
had been ransaclsed, almost all the furniture
destroyed, and a sum of $1,000 in gold and notes
stolen. The next morning he put SiadouN.
commissary Of police, in possession OF these facts.
who tbereupon proceeded 10 the spot and opened
an inquiry. In the course of bis search be found
a broken egg. from which the white only appeared
70 have been sucked. lie brought the circun-
stance to the notice of VI. Douet who then remem-
bered that a carter named Delbars. whom he had
dismissed for dirty habits. was accustomed TO eat
eggs in this way. They arrested him. along with
his brother. When questioned 10 how and
where they had spent their time the night OF
I..=- .al I'D Gna