The suburban citizen., 1902-06-21
MOST COLOSSALSWlNDLE
DETAILS OF THE HUM6ERT.cRAW'
FORD 100000 HOAX.


for the last two weeks has occupied
the attention of Paris to the exclusion
of almost everything else are at hand.
On the pretence Of fortune Of $24,
600 600 locked up in "A safe the peTpe-
traitors of the fraud have been able to
borrow in the last twenty years sums
aggregatng total amount of S9,200,-
900. When the creditors became impor-
tunate the famous safe was opened
and found to contain securities amount
ing to about S4O0. a little jewelry and
some worthless papers.
The story begins in Nice in 1877, and
the principal actors are an American,
one Robert Henry Crawford; Therese
d'Aurignac, now Nine. Humbert; her
husband, who Is a son of a former
French minister of justice; two broth
ers and sister of Nine. Humbert, sew
eral lawyers, and last, but not least,
two nephews of Robert Henry Craw-
ford, both New Workers and both mil
lionaires. Concerning the existence Of
the Humberts and the dAurignacs
there is no doubt, but no one seems
ever to have seen or to have heard of
Crawford or his nephews although the
latter have been parties in innumerable
suits contested in the French courts
over this fabulous fortune.
According to the legend that has
grown up, in 1877 Henry Robert
Crawford died in Nice, leaving his
whole fortune of 120,000o00 francs to
Therese d'Aurignac who had nursed
him during his last Illness. She was
the daughter Of linen draper in Tou-
louise, and shortly after the fortune
had been left TO her she married Fred
orick Humbert whose father was min.
lister of justice in De Freycnet's cab
met, in 1882 But before she had time
70 enjoy her windfall two ncphews Of
the deceased Crawford appeared-Ro
ert and Henry Crawford. of New York
bringing with them another will
made on the same day as the one which
left all to Nine. Humbert. This will
provided that the fortune should be
divided into three equal parts, to be
given to the two nephews and to the
younger sister Of Nine. Humbert. Ma
Tle d'Aurignac, with the condition.
however, that an annuity Of 100000
francs a year be paid to the elder sis
ter But the nephews were rich al
ready, and generous. too, so they pro-
posed that the fortunes be united and
all made fair by one of them marrying
Nine. Humbert. When they discovered
she was already married they proposed
the union of one of them with the
younger sister, Marie, who at this time
was a child in school, and the offer was
rejected Then an arrangement was
made by which Nine. Humbert was
made trustee of the entire fortune. to
hold until her sister came cf age, She
was to have an allowance of 800, 900
francs year, and the rest of the for
tune was to be locked up in safe and
not be disturbed A lew years later
when Marie d'Aurignac came Of age
she refused to marry either CT the
brothers Crawford, and since that
time, matter of twenty years ago,
French courts have never been without
a Humbert- Crawford case
In the meantime, no one, not even
the lawyers retained by them, has ever
seen the Crawford brothers although
up to a comparatively short time ago
they received, or asserted they re-
ceived, instructions from them. and
that all the necessary legal papers Were
signed by them, And Nine. Humbert,
unable TO get their consent to open the
safe and divide the money, took to bor-
rowing on the concealed assets. She
bought palace in the Avenue &c Ia
Grande Armee in Paris, two nagnif-
cent chateauX in the country. steam
yacht, splendid Jewels and spent great
sums in various charities, the money
for which she borrowed at very high
rates from various Eoney lenders and
banks From one man, a NJ Girard,
she got S1,240000; from another man
S1,400000, and from several she Sc
cured more than half million.
All this time she was asserting that
the safe contained 120o0000O francs
in securities which she could not touch
without the consent Of the Crawfords
and to calm the fears of her victims she
would show them the officially sealed
envelopes containing the fortune, with
The afiidavis Of the notaTles as to their
contents. A few years ago communica-
lions from the mysterious Crawfords
ceased the brothers were completely
lost sight Of, and all that Nine. Hum.
bert could do was TO borrow money
which she cid most successfully con
sidering that the only proof of the cx-
Istence of the fortune was her word
for it
In 1897 Girard, one Of her principal
treditors, committed suicide on account
Of his failure 70 collect the money he
had lent 60 her. His estate was liqui-
dated by NJ. Waldeck- Rousseau, the
present Premier, who, during the
course OF his argument, asserted that
the CTawfOrds, uncle and nephev~,
had never existed, that they were un-
SHOWN in New York, and that the
whole business was a gigantic fraud.