The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-14
Tile BANANA SCANDAL

PARIS. Jan. 13-There is no abatement
| whatever in the interest excited by the
developments in the Panama case. a
mum mber OF witnesses today testified that al
the time the rosy reports were being made
by the canal company the officials had full
knowledge that the reports were untrue,
ana that the difficulties that were brushed
aside on paper though they were nothing
were known by Count de Lesseps and
| others to be insurmountable.
| Niscount de Villeboise- Mareuil said
| that the corruption fund spent upon the
press was trif1e compared with the sums
| squandered through dishonest contracts
made by the company.
Captain Etienne Martin corroborated
/ the viscount's testimony. He said that
| the unvarnished cOrruptness of the con-
| tract system often rendered him so indig
| nant that he protested to the board.
! Eventually he resigned rather than sign
! contracts for machinery and supplies with
! French firms whose bids. when taken to-
gether, were 2S 0J0 600 francs higher than
/ the bids of English and Dutch firms.
| Everybody in the management of the COM
| pany knew that this sort of work WAS
/ beiug done; also that Baron de Reinach
and other financial agents were getting
enormous commissions.
NJ. Odelin, city councIior(a "a stove man
ufacturer), testified that he had received
COItEdCtS LIOiI VIC dlduld he
had been obliged to deal with several
agents in obtaining each contrast They
all demanded Z or S per cent commission
for their good offices.
NJ. Hierouymus, chief accountant OF the
canal COMPANY, was questioned at length
By President Perrier and NJ. Tanon, public
prosecutor, but they failed to elicit any in-
formation that would throw light on the
methods pursued hy the company.
NJ. Keynes, the canal company's cashier
made a statement as to the expense of
issuing the loans. Careful questioning as
to the names on the vouchers that he
signed elected only the reply, Il do not
know"
NJ Charles de Lesseps was called to tes.
tify as to the bonds payable TO bearer
issued by the Panama Canal company.
lie explained that of some 100000 francs
IN bons au porteur 1900 francs went to
NJ. Baihut and coo, 900 francs TO Dr. Cor
nelius Herr. The rest of the money was
distributed in small amounts among many
persons whose favor was indispensable To
the company.
NJ Oberndorfer, a banker, admitted that
for suggesting the lottery scheme he re-
ceived some 2, 100000 francs; but he did not
consider himself overpaid. He denied
having received anything for his work on
the bourse in the company's interest.
NJ. ElOry then testified that NJ. Charles
oC lACSSGpS DdL JOItl MIN IQdG lie ndu given
Banker OberndOrfer large sums, to reward
him for suggesting the lottery plan and to
prevent him from speculating on the
bourse against the interests of the COM
pany.
Engineer Pisch said that the canal
company struggled against the most out
rageous demands of the contractors, but
usually yielded.
Several other shareholders gave evidence
Senator Gouchard, president of the Suez
Canal company, gave testimony eulo-
gestic of both Count de Lesseps and his
son, Charles
Charles de Lesseps made a statement in
rebuttal of Captain Martins testimony.
The latter declined, however, to modify
his testimony.
The evidence so far on the trial is re-
garded as assuring convictions, and the
public is already discussing the sentence
that will be passed upon N. de Lesseps and
his associates in the event of conviction.
1t is said that Magistrate Perrier Will
pronounce a severe penalty.
In connection with the charge that Presi-
dent Carnot was well aware of the guilty
connection of men in high places with the
Panama fraud, attention Is called to IA
statement to the committee of NJ. CAT
farelli, deputy, to the effect that NJ.
Yves-Guyot told him that be one day saw
NJ. Constans show to member OF the
cabinet council large packet or decu-
ments for President Carnot. This packet,
according to NJ. Yves-Guyot, contained
the names of the persons-not all
of whom were deputies-who had received
money from the Panama funds. VI. Yves
Guyot shortly after denied that he had
made any statements about III. Constans
and packet of documents. The presi-
dents enemies allege that he is keeping
back evidence against the guilty men, III
order to hold it over them when the time
for election should come, and thereby
compel them to support him for re-elec-
tion.
LONDON, Jan. 13.-The Paris correspond
ent of the Daily News telegraphs that NJ.
has acquired fresh evidence,
exposing twelve more deputies, four of
whom are Boulangists.