The morning times., 1895-10-02
PRlIcElT / WIND RAISING
HoW Young iansyfand and Max Lsbaudy
Floattd Their Notes.
Famous Case That Has Been Finally
Decided BY French Courts and
the Gay Fellows Must Pay.
(Marqu ise de FontenoyD

Prince and Princess de Sagan's son
Count Helie de Talleyrand-P P erigord, ha.
just had his name brought once more be
fore the public In connection with the
Lebaudy prom issory notes. 1t may be
remembered that in the spring of last yeai
he was arrested on charge of fraud nc
forgery in relation to these notes. and thai
after being detained in prison for nearly
three months while under magisterial ex
animation he was finally released undel
circumstances which were surrou nded
with good deal OF mystery and which
gave rise to all kinds of interpretations
1t is the civil tribunal which. has re-
Gently had the liability with regard t
these notes under cons liberation, and the
proceedings In court have shed much light
on the pecul lar character OF the transac
tions between little Max Lebaudy, known
as "le petit sucrier,' and the future Duke
OF Tallcyrand Valencay p erigord and
Sagan.
According to the evidence produced II
appears that Max Lebaudy and Helie dc
Talleyrand, being each of them short ol
money, in 1892 drew up together eight
notes OF $4,000 apiece, signed by Max
de Talleyrand-P Perigord. Inasmuch. how
ever, as Lebaudy was at the time minor,
and therefore unable to give signature
possessing any legal value, the notes were
postdated to February IT, 1s94-that is
to say, nearly a year and a half later and
three months, therefore, after the date OF
young Max's attaining his majority.
Thus postdated the notes were placed
upon the money lending market and were
speedily taken up aud discounte at big
rates OF interest by third parties OF the cent
per cent. profess ion, the money being
turned over to young Talleyrand for the
use of his friend and himself. There was
no question of the notes being a bona -fide
recognition By Lebaudy of any debt to his
friend Talleyrand, but merely sort OF
joint scheme for raising the wind.
BY the time that Lebaudy had come ofage
he had quarreied with his whilom chum
and had likewise developed an invincible
objection TO paying his debts. Remember
ing the existence of these $4,000 worth
of notes which We're about to come due he
published advertisements in the French,
English, and Belgian papers informing the
public that he had learned that number
of promlssory notes bearing his signature
were floating about upon the market and
warning people not to have anything to
do " ith them, since he had signed no notes
whatsoever since attaining his majority.
This was of course equivalent to intimat-
ing that the notes " hich Count de Talley-
rand had discounted sixteen months pre-
viously were fcrGeries, as ii stood to reason
that no one would be foolish enough to
discount or even touch note bearinesthe
signature of "a minor, as it is W ell known
that such documents have no value what
ever
Asked whether he would pay the notes
or not, Max Lebaudy absolutely declined
TO do so, leaving il TO tie inferred that he had
derived no financial benefit from the notes,
and that whatever money had been OBJ
taincd upon them had gone into the pockets
of Count de sTaileyrand Convinced that
they had been swindled, the holders of the
notes-they had passed through many hands
since being first discounted-proceede
TO have Count de Talleyrand arrested on
charges Of fraud and forgery. Unfortu-
nately his previous record was not alto
gether as clear as might have been. There
were stories Of jewels, purchased in Lon
don on the strength of his mothers friend
ship with royalty in London, and pawned
the same day. There are other tales of
an equally unpleasant character current
in Paris, resulting from the persistent i'm
pecuniosity of the count, who, being the
favoritc OF his renniless father, instead of
his millionaire mother, has always been
kept on a ridiculously small allow ance
while thousands upon thousands were Law
isbed, without counting, upon his younger
brother, Count Bozon.
These stories, of course, served to make
Helie, all the more as Max Lebaudy did no,
hesitate to aver that he had been subjected
to all sorts OF indelicacies in money matters
by the count.
1t took the magistrate close upon three
months to find out that whatever else might
be laid at the door OF Count Helie de TaIley
rand-Perigord, he was certainly not guilt,
of forgery or even of criminal fraud in con
nection with the Lebaudy notes. and, &C
cordingly, he was set free on the under
standing that the dispute was a question
for the civil, and not for the criminal courts
The Prince c,f Wales was in Paris at til,
time, and certainly exerted himself amona
such friends as possessed influence will
the authorities to secure the young man'
liberation, and it may be remembered tba
his freedom was attributed to the Prince,
intervention. as well as TO the fact that hi.
mother, the Princess de Sagan, had under
n IN, <,ff tl,<, A..
that he renoupce his rights of succession t.
the entailed estate and the quadruple duke
dom to his younger brother, her favorit.
son, Bozon.
1t now turns out that the princess did no
pay off the notes, that the count has no
surrendered his birthright, and that tn,
holders of the notes have been compelled [.
sue the two signers thereof; that is to say
Max Lebaudy and Count de Talleyrand
for their face value. The courts have takel
the ground that while the notes being most
dated could notbe considered as legal docu
ments, yet. they formed the recognition O
money received on loan and obtained h,
| methods open to question.
Taking this into consideration, and ais,
the facts that the notes are in the hand
not OF the original discounters. but in tn,
possession of those fourth or fifth partie
who had every reason to believe then
valid, the courts bave now given a deere
eondemning Max Lebaudy and the Count a
| Talleyrand to pay Jointly the full amount O
| the notes plus the legal rate of interest. AM
| the cost oflegal proceedings in the matter
Second Crop of Oats.
| A remarkable incident is noted at Plain