Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-08
FROM DER THE SEA
De Lesseps Is a Magnificent
Old Swindler.
UNIQUE DEAL IN REAL ESTATE
The Most Palpahlc Evasion OF the Law
That Has Grzesd the Panama
Scandal.


from their holidays in Paris and Paris
correspondents OF London dzilies agrs 9
that the Developments OF tho coming
week will surpass anything Vet told IN
connection with tue Panama canal
scandal. The principal danger attend
ant upon these revelations has already
been suggested By tie anarchist plac-
ards which have been posted regularly
in the last four nights throughout the
city, and as regularly torn down by the
police 10 the early morning.
The burden of these placards IS that
the government Is only hslf-hearted in
the Inquiry into the Panama frauds
that Nj. Bourgeois, minister of justice,
while PROCESSING all zeal, is In fact do
ing ali he can TO thwary the purposes
OF the few honest men connected with
the government, and that unless the
masses rise aud take things into their
own hands all the guilty men will es'
cape.
The kernel OF truth in these asser-
tons Is illustrated by the attitude OF
the government toward the proposal OF
Ferdinand De Lesseps TO sell on next
Tuesday his castle. La Cnesnaye, to the
highest bidder. This sale, as il Is
claimed, will be in fact no sale At all,
but merely device for changing al
MS property into his wIfe's hands be-
fore the tinal crash.
Paipabie Fraud.
The evidence of this fact is so appar.
81
must perceive 1t. Despite Nine. DE
Lesseps' stories OF poverty, Ferdinand
De Lesseps - rich man. AS president
of the Suez Canal company, he drew
until within afev days ago 200, 900 francs
annually. From various other sources
mostly speculative investments, hi:
yearly income Is $50, 900 francs. Be
sides La Cnesnaye, he holds vast guam
titles OF real estate.
Ii is certain, therefore, that no need
of money could have moved him tC
exchange his castle for ready cash. The
conditions of the so-calied sale more
over are such that the purchaser can
not come into the enjoyment OF HI.
rights until after the death of Nine
| DeLesseps, which. IN consideration Of
| her youth and exhuberant health, Ii
not likely TO take place for some thirty
| or forty years. Meantime the whole
owner IS Nine. DeDesseps. Nobody II
| foolish enough to believe that capt
alst IN France 10 willing 10 buy acastlt
and park at an enormous price o.
| thirty or forty years of advance Of pos
sibility of enjoying them and, In fac
| nobody at LaChesnave expects each {
| capitalist to appear At the sale. APP
parently u purchaser has already beer
selected by Niue. DeLesseps and he
adviser. He IS q trustworthy DUNN,
who will bid In ard ostensibly hold tn
| property while, IN fact, DeLesseps HIM
self Will be the owner still.
| Weakness of the Government.
The whole subterfuge Will be usefu
in Just one way. If any proposition 20
| contiscatlon OF the estates of the Pan
anna directors and for restitution from
! the proceeds TO the swindled stock
holders follows the revelations OF tn
next three weeks. the castle or Ferdln
and DeLesseps, at least, will be beyon'
the reach of law. All this is common
talk in Paris just now, yet the govern
ment has not lifted finger to proven
the swindle. Ii IS almost certain, more
over, that the department OF justice vii
allow the farce to be played to the en-,
without making the slightest etfor
even TO stay action until the event O
the criminal trial. This is but a rept
titlon OF the leaden footed proceeding
of the government in November, whe
men like Herse and Arton, who kne'
too much about corruption N hig
places, were permitted 10 flee tn
country, and seizure of prlvaie paper
were DELAYED until the most incrimln,
ting documents were destroyed {
taken oven the border.
The strike eff toe Saar miners is keel
ing Germany so busy that she has lit
opportunity to rejoice IN the emba
rassment of her Gallic enemies. tn
strike is spreading slowly to the COZ
districts, and, the leaders say, WI
paralyze the whole coal mining bus
ness of the empire before the end ,
ming TO feel the scarcity of coal at
the Prussian government has re
obliged to take steps to purchase a.
vance supplies from private coal dea
era. These purchases have reduce
the quantity available for the man
facturers and families, so noticeab
that the Berlin dailIes prophesy . CO
famine. Many manufacturers
BrsnGenburg are preparing to curtis
production and work short-hsnde'
Untold misery will follow such actlt
"a Prussian cities are overrun with Il
unemployed and further increase
their numbers during the present seve
weather must resul. In starvation, III
and biOodshed.
C,raIa III. No Ere Snserh