The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-21
HUMBERT SWINDLERS CAUGHT
FRENCH GANG THAT GOT Sf?,-
OOO,OOO TRAPPED IN MADRID.
Buncoed Bankers for Twenty Years with
story OF Fortune Left by "RObert
Henry Crawford. an American MIL.
ionaire''-Mmc. Humbert's Part In II.
Special Cob,, D,spa,ehes TO THE sun.

cpeV~ Suot bSsp~eHes " I'M Own
MADRID Dec Mime T & D." rum-
bert her husband. her daughter, Eva: her
hrot. er. Roman d Aurignac. and her sister.
Marie d. Aurignac the notorious swindlers
or whom the French police have been
ooking all over the world. have been ar.
rested here.
The French Ambassador 20 Spain has
Eeen informed that the prisoners are al
his disposal
Spanish officials had noticed TINT French
family was living quietly In the house at
80 Gale Ferraz. They saw no enc except
the charwoman They bought and cooked
their own provisions which were always
o the bes' quality
The police informed the French Embassy
Of their suspicious, and procured photo
graphs OF the gang by which all we're
identified Frederic Humbert had grown
a heard but was recognized from the por-
traits
The family. it was learned. arrived direct
from Paris on May 0. They never re-
cevcd letters at their lodgings, but fire.
quently went to the general post Office for
the mail The daughter. Eva was i'll all
the time
Vest erday the police saw Roman d'Au-
rignac enter the house and obtained a
search warrant Meantime they kept a
watch on the house To-day an inspector
OF police rang the hall doorbel. He re-
ceived no reply. but hearing talking in a
low tone within. he rang again and de-
mandad that the door be opened In the
ma nc Of the law After a few minutes a
man opened the door
The Humberts attempted to escape by
the windows. but the gendarmes. who had
been posted at all possible exits. stopped
them.
When the party was arrested Eva Hum.
he was seized with fit of hysteria.
Nine Hunbert embraced her daughter and
her sister Marie. and in a broken voice
cried hyster .cally For the love Of God.
do not separate me from my daughter
In the drawer Of a table packet war
found which contained jewels OF the value
of 10000 francs
Roman d'Aurignac said afterward tina,
they were all tranquil and hoped they would
receive justice at the lands Of the French
auti .orites.-
The Humherts and d Aurignacs declare
they were the victim of a most infamous
preceding They uttered threats against
CtftHIl ITeHcE pe'sOtbtBcs
PARIS, Dec. 20.-The announcement Of
the arrest VI the Humberts and d Aurignacs
in Madrid created great sensation in the
Palace Of Justice. The Judges suspended
report. he justices. lawyers and iitisants
lost all interest IN their own particular
affairs while discussing an event which
was. apparently. due solely to the work Of
the Spanish police: 1t will probably be
Ill al for n
ties can be carried out and the swindlers
brought 10 Paris for trial.
The Widow Humbert, the mother OF
Frederic. who resides in Paris. on hearing
Of the arrests exclaimed oh. God. my
martyrdom must continue The widow
afterward said her son lived all the time
in terror Of his wife, TheiS-e.
NJ. Vale. the Minister of Justice, said to-
night that he felt the greatest satisfaction
over the arrest Of the Humbert gang. tte
he a very simI lie act, The indictment had
been forw arded to Madrid this evening
and II was expected that the prisoners
would be in Paris in ten days;
The Span ish DETECTIVES Who arrested
the Humb-rts and D'Aurignacs will re-
ceive a Tewar q of $4,000 francs.
In an interview with the Madrid CORE
spondent Of the Temps Nine. Humbert
said she was anxious to 60 to Paris imme-
diately. She desired to tell the truth about
Iile NnOle tTdHSuCtlOu ana ueIlOunCt ule
authors OF her present unhappiness. She
had always intended to return TO France
and answer the charges.
The Humbert swindle involved nearly
$i2. OOO.OO0. line basis for the swindle was
a will left by an imaginary American mill
ionaire, Robert Henry Crawford His
wealth was said to amount to 100, 900, 900
francs. This vast sum was supposed to be
held in trust by Nine Th6iese Humbert.
~ G...s nal, "A
as his sole legatee
A safe in Mime. Humbert's house was
supposed to contain the lOO,OO0 900 francs.
and on the strength Of this the woman
and her hust and and relatives succeeded
IN borrowing %, OOO, 900 francs from bankers
money lenders and others in France and
Belgium When the safe was opened not
penny was found The HumDers had
He'd
shortly after the filing OF the first will
a second one had been PRODUCED. dated in
1877. In which MIR. Crawford" divided his
property in three parts-one share 10 Nine.
Humbert and one each to my nephews
Henry and Robert Crawford Then Nine.
tlumbert produced third document max
ing her husband and herself the custodians
of the alleged securities and assets OF Mr..
Crawford's estate. in behalf Of II @ nephews.
Then 1t was that the Humberts started
out on their career OF swindling. Nine
Humbert gave currency TO yarn to the
eject tnat tne CTaWfOruS were very wealthy
and did not need money. but were anxious
TO unite the Humbert and Crawford fami-
lies, and had therefore made her husband
and herself the custodians of the mythical
fortune. One of the brothers. according
to Nine. Humbert. had proposed mar
riage to her, but she had pointed out that
NJ. Humbert was very much alive. and
Crawford" thereupon asked for the hand
Of her sister, Mario d'Aurignac then a
schoolgirl.
civil sui was then brought by one Of
tho alleged Crawford brothers in an in
junction action which. by n strange COIN
cidence, compelled the securities" to be
locked up in safe in the Humbert house.
and seals to he affixed by the court There
the securities were supposed to be for
nearly twenty years, and all the while Nine
Humbert and her husband, who was
member Of the Chamber of Deputies lived
in gorgeous style OH borrowed money.
Abou, five years ago the suspicions of
Mattre Waldeck- Rousseau were aroused,
and with the assistance Of a New York
lawyer an inquiry was made. II was found
that no Crawford had ever lived at 1909
Broadway. New York. the address given
by the Crawford brothers The docu-
ments setting forth the result Of this in
vestigation were signed by ". II. Bruder,
a notary public of New York, and were
dated July II. 1897 They were fled In
court by Mai 70 Waldcck- Rousseau. ard
really led to the exposure of the gigantic
swindie