The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-16
THE CLAIM OF DIR. HERR.

DR.. Cornelius Herr has joined the
lists Of international claimants, and
wants Uncle Sam to collect little bill
against France of So, 900, OOO The doc
tor has been in retirement for four or
five years, but there was a brief time
when his name figured prominently in
the French cables, though not in a
manner to reflect credit upon him. 1t
was during the investigation by the
French chamber into the Panama
scandal that brought down so many
prominent Frenchmen. When the lid
was taken off that pot there arose
such a stencil of corruption as to make
even France hold her nose. Deputies
had been bribed, and demanded and
got brides to vote subsidies to De Les
seps' failing enterprise. Millions Of
francs, that should have gone into the
work, went into rapacious pockets
French papers, after their habit, had
shared in the booty demanded and Civ
en- either to gain their support or 81
lence their opposition. The reign of
terror found its counterpart in this
reign of boodleism
Forthwith there was a flight of sus-
poets. Among them was our "AmerI-
cam doctor. He made a quick exit and
lit in England. French justice pur-
sued him with demand for extradition
The cables told how the doctor was
suddenly taken sick with some unmen-
toned ailment that Frustrated him and
utterly precluded his appearance be
fore the examining magistrate. French
gendarmes waited and watched pa
tiently for his recovery. AS long as
they waited and watched the doctor
remained confined to his lodgings. If
not to his bed. For four long years the
doctor remained sick and the
gendarmes on guard. He furnishes the
most prolonged instance of a danger
Gus illness on record. There have been
cases of voluntary expatriation under
like circumstances that outrun this in
length Of time, but none where the ex-
patriated stayed in bed four years.
Finally, he says, parliament passed a
u
ting the magistrate to go to the doctor,
seeing that the doctor could not go to
the magistrate, a case of the mountain
going to Mahomet. And he was dis
charged, the eXtraditiOn refused.
Meanwhile, the French government,
with that heartless way it has of deal
ing with the COntumaciOus, proceeded
against him and levied on his property
and appropriated it to its own reim-
bursement for the moneys squandered
on Herr and others. If it could not get
the doctor and send him to keep COM
pany with the younger De Lesseps and
others, it could recoup it's losses out
of what property the doctor left behind
him in his tumultuous flight After
over a year of brooding on this treat
ment the doctor discovered that he was
an American citizen. He came here
with his parents, and he or they. he
says, acquired citizenship But the doc
tor did not value it very highly Any
way, he returned to France and has
lived there so long that all American
1911 llelo Ueeu DIedCnSO out or him.
But the revelation made in sundry
cases in Cuba Of the advantages of
American citizenship papers suggested
to him that he might work his domes-
ITCHY here as a child to advantage. SO
he appears with his, attorney before
the secretary Of state and files his tire
mendous bill of five million dollars
damages against France and wants
Uncle Sam to undertake it's collection
forthwith. By the time the state de-
partment has investigated the matter
and ascertained the circumstances I'M
der which the doctor left his beloved
France there will be such a light turn
ed on him that his citizenship and his
claim will fold their tents like the
Arabs and silently steal away"