New-York tribune., 1902-12-21
THE HUMBERTS CAUGHT.
CAPTURED IN MADRID.
Police Bag the Whole Family Of
Notorious French .S7cindlers.

Madrid, Dec. 3n-Mme- Humbert. other
members of the Humbert family. and NJ. and
Nine d'Aurignac. the brother and sister-in
law of Nine. Humbert who became notorious
In connection with the great safe frauds in
Paris. have been arrested here. They had been
in Madrid since Nav g.
The police made clean haul of the whole
family, Nine. Humbert, her husband Eva
Humbert and the three d'Aurignacs-Romair.
Emile and Marie. The police suspected house
on the Gale Terray. Some time yesterday Ro-
main d'Aurignac to enter the building,
search warrant obtained and the house
was surrounded. After some difficulty the police
were admitted and arrested the long sought for
defauters The prisoners protested that they
were the victims of infamous proceedings. They
threatened 20 get even" with certain persons
in France and said they had to Madrid
direct from Paris. Mile. Eva became hysterical
and Nine. Humhert clasped Marie d'Aurignac
and her daughter in her arms, pleading with the
police For the love of God, do not separate me
from my daughter
The police made inventory Of the contents
of the apartments and found a parcel of jewels
valued at $1,000 couple of lottery tickets and
about S115 in cash. Seals then attached
to the house and the whole family were removed
to Jail and placed at the disposition of the
French Ambassador
The police suspect the Humberts of having
disposed Of important papers in the lavatories
while delaying the entry of the officers. The
family tried to escape by the windows, but
failed. as the house surrounded.
The prisoners taken to the police pre-
lecture this morning. In their pockets the police
discovered $50 The prefect of police subse
quently had audience of King Alfonso and
reported the capture. The King congratulated
the prefect. "It is thus" he said, that I like
TO see the Spanish police act. 1 rejoice that our
police have been able to render service to
France"
The prefect said he had known of the presence
of the Humberts for q week, but delayed taking
action until he assured that he had the
whole party Gagged.
The Humberts maintain they innocent, de
clare they themselves are victims and say they
desire to return to France and defend themselves
against the charges. The women of the party
were much distressed and wept continuously
The swindling conducted by NJ. and Nine. Fred
eric Humbert regarded the most extraordl-
nary of the kind in Paris since the famous
diamond necklace affair of 1856 NJ Humbert was
the of the Minister of Justice in the French
Cabinet in 1852, and himself time a
member of the Chamber of Deputies from the
Department of the Seine He married Mile.
Therese dAurisnac, in Nice. in 1875 She had been
the nurse of an American. Henry Robert Craw-
ford, who had died, and 1t was alleged had left
her his enormous fortune. He had been injured |
by fall of a plate glass window near the an |
tiquity shop of the DAurignacs in Toulouse Just
as she about upon fossessson OF tire
sorthne, she alleged there appeared two |
nephews of Mr.. Crawford, who set up will by |
which the estate vas left to them and Mile Marie
d d'Aurignac a younger sister of Nine Humbert, on !
condition that an annuity of $4,000 paid TO the
latter. The then contested in the courts !
by a variety proceedings, appeals and miscel- |
laneous litigation that dragged Interminabiy !
under the French judicial system But Nine !
Humbert always had plenty of money, and on the |
strength of allegations that the fortune OF $0O0GO
was locked up in her safe, which she had had |
sealed by order of the court, she conducted bust
ness enterprises of magnitude. She founded life |
insurance company in which many workmen were |
insured and lived in the finest style in of the
principal streets CT Paris. Her picture collection
treasures after she fed realized a large sum IN |
all the legal proceedings saw the TWO al
legged Crawford nephews, and when the expose expose |
il concluded that they were as nlyiIllcdi
the fortune they were supposed TO be seehlns-
The business affairs of the Humberts were con
Quoted the principle OF borrowing from one 10 |
pay another, and the result was that 1naIIy a |
persistent creditor secured order for the ofhcial
opening of the safe, where securities supposed 10
represent s20O0De00 alleged to be- Then the |
glistenfng bubble burst. for no money or hrtlcle |
of value was found in the receptacle after Nj and |
some paste diamonds, valueless goid mine slareS |
and newspapers. 1t was found that some OF e lae |
renisced by copies and that the country chateau |
of the Hurnberts had trace of the money me |
private yacht and other properly OF the I1uihpel''
were seized and sold. .
n was found that the Humberts had negotiated |
loans with many ma ,o 81 m e and had also induced
many persons to invest In their insurance com,
pany. They had entertained lavishly ana moVed
in the most fashionable circles