The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-12-24
UNDER ARREST.

1 nhhOcEA OF Nhe OhhnDeF ODhrKnu VILE
Fraud-story of san-Jeroy's Connection
with the Panama Swindle.
PARIS, Dec. I'm. Charles Aime
Marie DeLesseps, M. Marius Etienne
Fontane and M. Snn-Leroy have been
arrested by direction of the minister oi
justice, NJ. Bourgeois, for their alleged
connection with the Panama canal
frauds.
M. Henri Louis Felix Cottu, for whose
arrest an order was also issued, has fed
to Vienna San-Leroy is charged with
having accepted bribe as a member Of
the chamber of deputies.
| The charges against the officers of the
company on which summonses were pre-.
viouslv served, and on which they have
been arrested, are that they have joint
ly made use of fraudulent imaginary
credit, that they have dissipated capital
entrusted to them for aspecifc purpose,
and that they have swindled others out
of part or all of their means of living on
their fortunes. These offenses come
within the reach of seven articles of the
penal code.
| The penalties to which the heads OF
the Panama Co. have made themselves
liable, should the theory of the prosecu-
tion be established, are thus laid down:
| "Whosoever, by making use Of false
name, or quality, or resorting to fraud
ulent devices to persuade another or
Others of the reality of imaginary enter
prises or of power or credit, or TO give
rise to the hope or fear of chimerical
event or undertaking, attempts to OBJ
tain money or any other property or
receipts or discharges, is liable to one
years imprisonment at least, and five
years at most, and fine of from e2 to
e120."
The convict may also be deprived OF
civil rights from the day on which he
leaves the prison for five years, at least,
and ten at most, and be, moreover, for
hidden to vote at Legislative, municipal,
or other elections, or to carry arms or
to act as guardian. The accomplice is
liable to the same penalties.
1t is noteworthy that the accused
parties in this case are not to be tried
for infractions of the laws regulating
financial and industrial companies, but
under articles of the common law.
The theory, therefore, of the prosecu.
ton is that the Panama affair was a
swindle from the beginning. The orig
inal concessionaires are sheltered by
prescription.
San-Leroy is expected to be badly
implicated by documents and other evi'
dence. San-Leroy was not on the Pan.
anna board. Suspicion was always at.
tached to him on account of his sudden
| oh ~ i,, +1,x, La
tee of the chamber of deputies, when
the lottery loan was being voted on.
At first he opposed the loan, bat he
turned the scale at the last moment by
voting in it's favor. In the hearing
before the Panama investigating coma
mittee, few days ago, Mr.. SaRLeroy
stated that he changed his vote II
obedience to the wishes of his consti
tuents.
M. Rondeleux, another former depu.
ty, testified before the commission thai
he drafted the first report of the lottery
committee of the chamber against the
lottery bill, and was so amazed wher
the committee rejected the report, ow
ing to M. San-Leroy's change of front
that he resigned the Craftsmanship o.
the committee. 1t is understood tha
the government has documentary evi
dence, showing the exact amoun
paid to M. San-Leroy for his change o
front.
Besides making the arrests the au
thorities have searched the residence!
of De Lesseps, Fontane, Cottu and San
Leroy, and seized a mass of documents
throwing new and important light OF
the Panama frauds