The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-30
MURDER Is 4 TRADE
0fRegularly Organized Crime
Guilds in Paris ii
ARMY MEN ARE MEMBERS
Graduated Scale of Prices for
AssaSSinatiOns.

| Of assaseins and robbers. 1t was a mem
Der Of one Of these heands. who, two wsek
ago, ATTEMPTED to assassinate n. LAbori
counsel for Dreyfus.
The deputy chief Of the secret servic'
| of the French government admits the ex
istance of these organizations OF crimin
ais. Al the tragedies and alleged suicides
On connection with the Dreyfus case ar
now said to be fraceable to these clubs o.
criminals, some OF whose nembrs are be
Iieved to be oflciais OF the government
So strongly intrenched with political IN
fluence and money are these leagues d
outlaws that the weak, corrupt police darS
not try to brea lcthem up or even Try d
arrst theEh members, VINO commit ths
mosts atrocious crimes. The following
story Of this new reign of terror ir
France seems more like a tale OF The
French revolution than OF the actual con-
dation today OF the foremost Of European
republics,
Rennes, where the Dreyfus courtmartial
is in progress; Paris, and In fact. all parts
of France. are now at the mercy OF organ
lied gangs Of criminals.
The assassination Of Laborf, counsel foE
Dreyfus. two weeks ago revealed this.
H was not by a hired assassin, belong
ing to a band of men who make such
deeds their business.
The deputy chief OF the secret service
of the French government, N. Hennion,
admits II.
He admits too, that the price was prob
ably two thousand francs $500.
That VIII pay for the killing Of any
official or prominent man in France.
It seems, too, that It vii protect the
ASSASSIN from punishment
Here is what NJ. Hennion states In a
cable to the Journal.
The assassination of Iabori was, with
out doubt, done by a member Of the gang
of Camelots, arranged in Paris for q GER
tain price This may have besn two thous-
and francs (4OO) or upwards.
The Canelots are members Of an organ
ization from which most of the anarchist
assassins in France and italy come.
They do not care a sou about anarchy,
and have no principles whatever, but take
to anacra1y and assassination as the best
Quilt for their criminal instincts and de-
plenty Of men of This class who would kill
Dreyfus for two SOUS"
This confession by Chief Deputy Hennion
Of the secret service of France, is a reve-
lation. -r;. -..
Fron the first It has been suspected. but
this. Official confirmation shows state
Of corruption end wickedness that make
Paris and France in general objects OF
horro to the rest Of the world
The condition OF affairs described by
this high official presents picture OF
crime rampant and UNPUBLISHED.
It is the reign. OF terror and revolution
vanished over and framed in guilt.
It proclaims Pars as the only capital OF
any civilized nation where murder Is a
purchasable commodity.
The price of a great mans life Is 800;
an ordinary life, two sous,-the cost OF
glass OF absinthe.
The band of Camelots referred to by n.
Hennion Is by 50 means the only league
of assassins, the existance of which Is
publicly known.
There are at least twenty or thirty Of
them-regular guilds of crime, usually OPP
Grating in a certain well defind sphere.
and restricting themselves to a certain
class Of felony, all OF which offer assassins
for hire.
But seven of these associations are 30
strong as to WELD political power.
The most powerful Of these seven great
bands Of criminals IS that which COM
prises I'm BIS ranks not a few government
officials and even farTny officers. II has
men of the type of Major Esterhazy, who
for the sake OF money are ready TO under
take any crime on the understanding that
they are suitably reverted and protected
from punishment.
Sometimes their names are suspected,
but as general rule they are ignored by
the general public. And yet that this or
ganization does exist Is notorious. II Is
used to undertake the dirty and sometimes
desperate work OF either the government
or politicians. such as, for instance, the
robbery of the state papers from the
British embassy when Lord Duflerin was
ambassador
This robbery was perpetrated by an Of
fetal guet at one Of his receptions.
Nor are these mems operations confined
death OF the military a4tache of the Rus
sian mission at The Hague remains unex-
planned. save for the fact that he had pre-
viously announced 70 friends that he in
tended to reval from whom at the French
war department he had obtained for his
government military secrets prior 20 the
alliance. as he could not bear any longer
the idea of Dreytus. an innocent man,
suffering the fortunes Of the damned at
DEVILS island for the crime committed
by another.
II must be remnbered that there are az
least six other persons. all Of them favor
able TO Dreyfus and capable of throwing
light upon the affair. VINO have died 80
mysteriousiy as 20 give rise to the belief
that they were murdered. Colonel Henry's
throat was not cut Until exaSperated BY
his arrest and convinced that he had been
deserted by those IN whose behalf he had
forged and He'd he threatened 60 reveal all
he knew.
Ar these deaths may be laid a. che door
Of this mysterious ring which has access
to the secrets OF every govegnmest de-
partner: ana Is In position 20 use for
purposes OF menace and of biackmaH the
confidential reports which che poAce are
employed 10 draw Up concerning the pri-
vsse LIE OF every prominent man in
France.
They are afraid Of nothing. stop at moth
ing. and Il was through them that the CIV
Il element % the military conspiracy
against Dreyfus was able 10 exercise suca
a species q terrorism over Persistent Per.
-
although a good man at heart. was %
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