Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-27
R|BOT WON'T FIGHT.
Frances Prime Minister Re-
fuses to Meet Andrieux
With Weapons,
BUT HE WILL BE INSULTED
Panama Scandal Prisoners Treated
With Rigid Severity.
De FREYCINET MAY YET RESIGN
Brain Disease Attacks Suspected Member
of Parliament
BUT HE WILL BE INSULTED
DE FREYCINET MAY YET RESIGN,
Brain Disease Attacks a Suspected Member
of Parliament.
TIE CHOLERA SPREADING IN HAMBURG
rBY CABLE TO THE DISPATCH ]

PARIS, Dec. 26-[ Copyright Prime
Minister Ribot was to-day challenged to
duel BY Andrieux. The Premier in his
great speech last Thursday referred to re-
cent book by Andrieux as the work OF q
diplomat who was sowing disorder
Andrieux sent Proval, an ex-Deputy,
and Leroux, ex-Magistrste, to demand sat-
isfaction. They saw Ribot's secretary. He
affirmed that the book and the author were
legitimate objects of public criticism, and
that a challenge on such basis could not be
considered, Ribot later took the same
position, and declared that the code did not
permit a call to arms for such cause.
Andrieux will therefore publicly insult
the Prime Minister in order to bring about
ameeting. 1t looks as though Andrieux
now sought to provoke the Cabinet into ex-
ecution of its apparently abandoned pur-
pose to prosecute him
Herr Responsible for the Evidence
1t should be borne in mind that much of
Andrieux's evidence against members of
Parliament and Ministers, which he is
slowly dealing out, he obtained from Cor
nelius Herr, whose possession of it ex-
plained in last nights dispatch.
The sessions of the investigating commits
sion will be held with closed doors during
the recess of Parliament Amember of the
commission has furnished me with a liberal
abstract of to-day's proceeding The COM
mission received dispatch from the editor
of the Gazette, of Moscow, requesting the
fullest inquiry into the report that the cor
respondent of that journal has been paid
500,0 ,0o0 francs from the Panama funds.
President Brisson reported that an exam
ination of the first portion of the Panama
Company's paper showed nothing impli-
eating members of Parliament Stubs of
800 checks, representing IL, 500, 900 francs,
are in the hands of NJ Batian, whom the
commission has Summoned for Thursday.
He was formerly connected with lie Soir
and the Telegraph He is expected to more
definitely implicste De Freycinet, Minister
of War, and Burdeau, Minister of Marine,
in connection with the payment of Panama
Doodle to those papers
Prisoners Receiving No Favors.
Lawyers representing the Panama officers
now in prison have signed joint protest
against the extreme severity of treatment
of their clients. Not only are they under
the strictest prison discipline, but they are
sci. They see no one, excepting occasional
calls from their wives the defense will
not ask q postponement when the cases
come up on January 10, but it is said that
the prosecutor will request delay, as the ex-
animation of the documents alone will re-
quire another MONTH
The Bourse was firm at the opening to-
DAY, but weakened later when rumors be-
came current that NJ. De Freycinet, Minis
ter of War, was about to resign. Rentes
closed at 97.45. Credit Foncier fell 18 75
francs Rumors as to NJ. De Freycinet's
approaching resignation are numerous this
evening, but it is impossible to trace any of
them to q trustworthy source
The Mdtin to-day says that NJ. Antonin
Proust, one of the members of the Chamber
of Deputies who is threatened with prose-
cution because of his connection with the
Panama scandal, is suffering from conges-
tion of the brain. The paper adds that his
family refuses to give any information re-
garding his condition.
A Denial of Prousfs Illness.
The Paris correspondent of the London
DdilyNepS denies that Antonin Proust is i'll
"He is only suffering from the annoyance
caused by the revelations Of the Panama
commission" says the correspondent. ''The
editor of the GduloiS which published the
malignant story about Madame Csrnot, had
the GOODNESS to-day to call upon that lady
and leave for her a card inscribed 'Avec
regrets respectueux.' NJ. Denayrousse re-
fuses to fight, his object being to drag NJ.
Raynal before the courts. NJ Andrieux
has tried to pick a quarrel with NJ Ribot
by demanding an explanation of certain
portions of his last speech in the chamber.
NJ. Ribot declined to reply except by his
secretary, who merely said that M. Ribot
had referred to NJ. Andrieux merely in his
public capacity"