Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-12-17
MORE ARRESTS LIKELY
Members of the French Cham.
 Der May be Prosecuted.
DE LESsEPs ETAL. PLEAD INNOCENT

Charges Against the Accused Directors
 Premier Ribot Congratulated for the
 stand the Government Has Taken-Paris
 in the Greatest Excitement.
 PARIS, Dec. 1.-The police are making 8 wholesale descent in search of docu- ments and other evidence for use in the prosecution of the Panama canal directors and others accused of complicity in the frauds.
 Armed with warrants of search, the police visited the premises of the Panama Canal company, and also the premises of NJ. Thieree, of the firm of Thierre & Com pany.
 Besides searching Thieree's premises they searched those of his partner, M. Trooper, who had joined with NJ. Thieree in refusing to enter into any par ticulars about the 26 checks to bearer, which the company had given to Baron Reinach ill return for a check for 3,390,- 474 francs, drawn by the Panama Canal company.
 These 26 checks were believed to be the key to the mystery of corruption and fraud.
 The police also searched the residence of NJ. Herz, who is alleged to be deeply implicated in the Panama schemes of Reinach, and who was with Reinach shortly before his death.
 As yet no warrant has been issued for the arrest of M Ferdinand de Lesssps. It was decided to make the arrest at meet ing at which M. Ribot, the Prime Minis ter; NJ. Bourgeois, Minister of Justice; the Procureur General and the head of the Criminal Department were present.
 The prosecution of NM. Charles de Les seps, Fontane and San Leroy, who were arrested yesterday, will be entirely dis tinct from the others.
 The papers assert that four more i'm portant arrests are imminent.
 It is reported that the government will ask the Chamber of Deputies to authorize the prosecution of number of it's mem bers.
 The Presidents of the four Republican groups waited upon NJ. Ribot yesterday and congratulated him upon the decision of the government, the tirmness of which is generally approved in the Hobbies and the Chamber itself Its firmness has se- cured for it decided majority in the Chamber. Only the members of the Right and some of the Radicals disapprove of the government.
 The arrested Panama Canal directors, when arraigned before Magistrate Fran quello, protested their innocence They were committed to the Mazas Prison.
 Jules Picard, president of the Suez Canal company, has written letter to the president of the Paris Agents de Change saying that the shareholders.in in the Suez Canal need not be alarmed over the ar rest of Charles de Lesseps, as the Suez Canal company is absolutely certain to progress satisfactorily.
 The charges against the officers of the which viously served, and on which they now have been arrested, are that they have jointly made use of fraudulent imaginary credit; that they have dissipated capital entrusted to them for a specific purpose, and that they have swindled others out of part, or all, of their means of living on their fortunes.
 These otrenses come within the reach of seven articles of the penal code. The penalties to which the heads of the Panama Company have made themselves | liable should the theory of the prose cution be established, are one years | imprisonment at least and five years at l most, and fine from two pounds to one hundred and twenty pounds. The con- vict may also be deprived of civil rights | from the day on which he leaves the prison for five years at least, and ten years at most, and be moreover, forbidden | to vote at legislative, municipal or other elections, to carry arms or to act as guar | dian.
 The accomplice is liable to the same penalties.
 It is noteworthy that the accused par 1 ties in this case are not to be tried for in l fractions of the laws regulating financial and industrial companies, but under arti cles of the common law. The theory therefore, of the prosecution is that the Panama affair was swindle from tht beginning. The original concessionaire: are sheltered by prescription.
 Paris is in the greatest excitement ovel the arrests, and nothing else is heard oI the streets or in public places.