New-York tribune., 1901-08-18

from the indiscreet attentions OF the police
The Westermlns is OF about five hundred tons.
Loyds measurement. She is luxuriantly fur
nisked. and sails under the Belgian flag. She
called T-ouve. Deppe Ostend. Schevenin-
gen and fashionable resorts. and the bac-
carat ana roulette games on board this ultra
modern type OF piratlcal craft were carried out
with great cltverness. and the stakes were high
TIE gang also ran a gambling house In Paris
In the neighborhood of the Opera, and there
Prince Karageorgevch last $4,000. NJ Barya-
tinsky lost $4,000. NJ Cahen d'Anvers lost
S3so0 and NJ Won Ackenbrauck, a young Bel
gisn gentleman. lost S3i 600.
The banker OF the gang was n Belgian. who
paid 5000 rent for his bachelor rooms in the
Champs Eiysees. The aggregate -um that the
gang cleared In the last twelve months is esti-
mated at SJooOoO
The particular exploit OF the gang or "syndi-
cate" they called themselves. which led 10
their discovery. made on the racecourse at
Coiombes, near Paris. May %, after a horse
called Colimacon won an easy and unexpected
victory. which realised for those who backed
him enormous profits. for at the ''pari-mutuel"
125 francs paid for every 10 franc piece
placed upon him The performances OF Colimacon
seemed so extraordinary that the Paris Jockey
Club investigated the matter and the result
was of the most sensational turf scandals
known here for many years. AS the real Coll
MACON was known 10 be a very Indifferent horse
the Societe du Sport de France had the win
ner at the Colombes races examined by a vet
erinary surgeon. who at once ascertaned that
a substitution had been effected. Rara, the
trainer, under whose name Colmacon had been
entered, questioned He said that he had
acted in behalf of NJ. Hubert DesrousSeaux. a
spinner of RoubaiX. who. questioned in his turn
admitted that he had given the papers OF Coli
macon TO former insurance agent of Belgian
origin named Hereboudt NJ Desrousseaux de-
clared that the substitution OF the horses had
taken place without his knowledge He was
lone the less warned off the French turf for life.
The name Hereboudt supplied a valuable cew
for the French detectives A Of this un-
usual name had been executed" at Chantilly
eighteen months before for similar offence.
Evidence was soon obtained showing that Here
boudt was the most active member or an asso-
! citation of turf swindlers. whose field of opera
tions France and Belgium. 1t proved
/ that the English horse which this gang had
/ raced at COombea under the name Colimacon
: had appeared several times on the Belgian
/ raCecourses notably at GrOenendael and Ixelles.
under the name OF Capitaine an excellent horse.
I of which the gang had bought the papers from
it's former owner, Belgian notary.
The police We're soon In possession of the
| names OF the members of the syndicate" Most
of them were Belgians and Russians, with high
sounding but false titles Of nobility. One OF
them is alleged to he the brother of NJ. Leoniteff.
the Russian explorer, we'll known for his trav-
| els In Abyssinia, and who was made count
! by King Menelek There also several Poles
| and three Frenchmen. The gang picked up
their dupes on the racecourses and lured them
! Into their apartments in the Champs Elysees
| or other fashionable quarters of the town and
| pIucked them at will. and wnen they had no
| more money they were made to sign promissory
| notes. At the seaside operations We're carried
| on on board the yacht Westermne, and at the
| end Of the season profits were divided among
! the members Of the syndicate.
/ NJ Bourroullon. one of the most astute French
| magistrates, is in charge of the case which In
| n few weeks when all the evidence shall have
| been collected. will before the Tribunal
of the Seine. and promises to be a piquant and
! sensational trial c. l. b.