The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-08
THE PANAMA SWINDLE.
nov ITS CORRUPTION VAS EXPOSED
AND OH4R1CTERs RUINED.
An American Doctor a Leader in the job
Scores of Members of the French As SEM
bly, Bought-The Press Suborned.

The anti-Semitic crusade Of Drumont.
| editor Of the Libre Parole newspaper,
had much to do with increasing the effect
OF the Panama canal exposures which
have shocked France and the civilized
world" Public opinion had been grad
ually worked up TO n point Of determna-
! ton TO learn the truth and to appreciate
| it when learned The truth is known
now; the most honored name in France
is smirched; a ministry has had to re-
sign; senators and deputies await prose-
cution; two Of the most prominent men
Deroulede and Clemenceau-have fought
duel, and the whole social fabric
or France is shaken. The fabulous sum
or l,5OO,OWW0 represents the total ex-
penditure Of tn" company, and Of this at
least S25, 00O0 O0i is lost forever.
In glancing over the story Of what
has been called a colossal fraud attention
Is first arrested by the three striking
figures in the foreground-each a noted
personality, but deriving its celebrity
from widely differing causes-Baron Gar
nall Reinach, DR.. Cornelius Herr ana
Count Ferdinand de Lesseps. To one
death has come-to all three disgrace
Reinach and Herr have borne a part In
the melancholy business in expiation OF
which the former has given his life and
the latter has lost any shreds Of reputa-
ton which still chung to him.
Keinach, who received enormous sums
OF money from the canal people, and was
instrumental in floating their loan issues
was Partisan Hebrew banker OF sucn
prominence that when his disgrace AMI
ra1 MI,
neously every one was dazed. Especially
interesting concerning him are the asser-
tons OF Nj. Andrieux. ex-prefect OF police.
VINO says that Reinach was latterly paw
Ing his personal debts ont Of the Panama
Company's money, and that he had acted
as negotiator in the disgraceful political
bribery intrfgues carried on by the COM
pany Even after death Reinach was the
cause OF bitter contention, the govern
ment being voted out OF power i'm the
debate on the exhumation Of his corpse.
The autopsy has absolved him of the
charge or suicide. but II will prove a
harder task TO exonerate his memory
from the obloquy that rests upon II.
DIR. Cornelius Herr was an able ageot
In Iromotilg The schemes Of Reinach.
acting as an intermediary between the
banker and the lobby. Most OF the very
dirty work which Baron ReInach had In
Rand on behalf Of the canal MAS actually
perfCi med by Herr. who is a native Of
America, and we'll ,emembt red here.
Herr was the son OF a German Hebrew
and was educated in the College of the
City OF New York. From early years he
had reputation for "smartness," and as
he grew up it developed into "consum-
mate brass" Becoming doctor. he lived
awhile in Chicago, but soor drifted into
~ VIII gh tn
sessed some knowledge. A capacity for
borrowing money and persuading friends
TO become interested in schemes In which
they usually lost was a characteristic he
evibCed even in college days.
He married daughter OF a Boston
MERCHANT. and afterwlrd spent some
years In South America. whence he went
TO Paris and soon accumulated a for
ture. At one period. when residing in
SaE Francisco, he associated himself IN
practice with a DR.. Stout, who says
Herr ruined him. He Is said during this
time to have received 100000 in profess
sioral fees from brewer named Lyon.
whom he treated for a brain affection.
He was constantly dabbling in electrical
inventions. and soli one OF these to the
Western Union Telegraph Company. Herr
impressed DR.. Dolbear, of Tufts College.
as "clever sharp"
When his American record was made
known In Paris IL "caused no surprise TO
those who had known him." Every one
wondered. however. that the astute Baron
Reinach should have such close relations
with Herr. but II was suspected that he
knew too much about Panama secrets
and thus welded a sinister influence over
the Baron. When the exposures came
Cornelius Herr was comfortably and
safely installed In a leading London no.
tel, with a convenient strip OF sea be-
tween himself and the French capital.
The phases OF the Panama scandal fol-
owed each other in startlingly rapid sue
cession.
vrnon ths fsth 80 Nyov.-A.. -. ~ ~,