The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1902-07-18
= q p q - p q, q . q ., =, 4. . q,

Paris that the company had obtaine,
exceptional privileges, which it ha,
used Tor the purpose of dcfrauding in
| vestors by bribing no less than hun
! dred deputies. The hubbub that fol
. lowed can be imagined, for, like every
other human being. the Frenchmar
mates to think that he has been gl1lled
SO intense was the feeling that the
ministry decided to submit the matter
to committee. BY n strange coinci-
| dence n banker, Baron Reinach. who
| stood accused of being the agent for
| the company in much of the alleged
corruption, died suddenly Some peo-
pie were unkind enough to suggest
that he had poisoned himself in order
to evade appearing before the commit
tee of inquiry.
There were others to testify. how
ever, and the disclosures that were
made were sufficient to uphold the ac-
cusations. 1t was shown that bribery
on wholesale scale had been carried
on in order to throw dust in the ewes
or the public regarding the shOrtcom-
1ngs of the company and leave oppor-
tunity for further imposition on its
shareholders and creditors. Amid q
great scene of excitement M. de Les |
Seps, his son Charles and some of their |
colleagues We're sentenced to terms of |
Imprisonment for fraud and bribery.
The blow fell heaviest OH the elder De
Lesseps, and despite the great losses
occasioned the volatile Frenchmen
We're loud in their expressions of SYM
pathy for him. Many were Ioath to be-
ileVe that he was n knowing party TO
the swlndle, and so widespread was
THIS view of the case that he escaped
lhli only to die in the following year, a
broken man, unable to withstand the
lisSrace that had befallen him.
Inc canal scheme was not allowed
% lie long in allegiance despite the blow
t had received. AS early as the fol.
owing year prominent French engi-
ieer advanced scheme whereby he
tanned that the work could be com ,
'leted in four years at an additional ]
ost of $11O,0O0,0OO. A new comDanv 8
vas at once formed. and 100000 shares
we're issued, which We're taken I'D bv
fenchmen of means, and work was
esumed under French auspices If
'as not long, however, before another
1toack occurred. for in 1895 strike =,
iaDorers on the canal DELAYED mat "
IFS greatly, and the methods of the
eW company came under fire. For q "
me 1t was feared that another canal -
;ahdal was imminent, but develop =,
ents showed that the alarm was m -
Nevertheless confidence VI
as so rudely shaken that it became u
lueht the company would be unable -
complete its labors under national Id
lsplces, as the French could no longer u
induced to make Investments III
lie eyes OF the promoters of the &c
aeille We're then turned to America ON
q the United States of America wos sN
ected as the country most likely to en-
lp the canal people out of their diff LII
,tles. Inc prospects We're anything II
bright, however, as for more than "u
ecade the United States government
people had been concerning Them
yes with the building of a canal mel
II what is known as the Nicara gil. ~
tie. After protracted negotiations an the
Hilary American company was final thl
and to this the affairs of i've
enterprise We're intrusted. OF
the investigation of the French A
lpany's affairs by the new concern one
'as learned that of the $156.4OO. 900 eer
ended by the original company all &c
$SS,OO0.00O had gone to bribery Dor
Dlv