The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-03
MOST COLOSSALSWlNDLE
DETAILS OF THE HUMeERT.cRAw.
FoRo $4,000, 900 HOAX.

- | :. S"Ac ah FaElS supposed tO Contain
ASO'OOO.OOO Francs, When Opened is
Found to Hold Only $500 and Little
e Jewelry-Credulity Hun Mad.
Details of the colossal hoax which
for.the last two weeks has occupied
: the attention OF Paris to the exclusion
or almost everything else are at hand.
On the pretence of fortune of S24.-
; 100000 locked up in a safe the perpe-
traitors of the fraud have been able to
borrow in the last twenty years sums
aggreSatins total amount of $1,000
ooO When the creditors became impor-
tunate the famous safe was opened
and found to contain securities amount
ing to about $400. & little .iewelry 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 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
ilonalres. Concerning the existence of
| the Humberts and the d'Aurignacs
| there is no, doubt. but no one seems |
| ever to nave 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 12O.OOOOOO francs to
Therese d'Aurignac. who had nursed
him during his last illness. She was
the daughter OF n linen draper in Tou-
louse, and shortly after the fortune
nad been leit to her she married Fred
erlck Humbert. whose father was min
lister OF justice in De Freycine1's cab
met in 1SS2. But before she had time
TO enjoy her windrall two nephews of
the deceased Cra wford approximations
crt and Henry Crawford of New York
bringing with them another will
made on the same day as the one which
ieft all tosMme. HUmbert! This will
provided that the fortune. should be
diVlded into three equal parts TO be
given to the two nephews and TO the ,
younger sister Of Nine. Humbert. Ma
Tie dAurignac. With the condition
however, that IN annuity of $50 600
francs year be paid to the elder sis =,
ter But the nephews We're rich al
iei'o!' ana generous. too. so they pro- :
posed mar the fortunes be united and
All made fair by one Of them marrying :,
Nine Humbert. When they discovered
She was already married they proposed =,
'he union OF on" Of them with the ;,
younger sister. Marie. who mt this time =,
was a child in school. and the offer was .
rejected. Then an arrangcmeut WAS ,
made by which Nine. Humbert was
made trustee II the entire fortune. to "
lold ultH her sister came of age. She ;,
vas to have an allowance of 365. 900 =,
fancS year, and the rest of the for y.
unc was to be locked up in a safe and :,
lot be disturbed. A few years LATER -
When Mari d'AuriGnac came of age N'
he refused TO marry either of the r.,
'fethers Crawford. and since that
in'e' hlalter cf twenty years ago.
feLch courts have never been without
Humbert- Cra wfcrd case.
In the meantime. no one. not even -.
ne lawyers retained by them. has ever
cen TIE Crawford brothers. although !9'
, TO comparatively short time ago Id
heE received, or asserted they re- oe
AlFeo. instructions from them. and ~
lat al III" necessary l2Gai papers We're Nv
@heu ny fnem. And Nine Humbert
haole TO get their consent to open the >.
'le ana divide the money. took to bor
'Wih% on the concealed assets. She Se
ought palace III the Avenue de In III
randc Ar,nee in Paris two narnif- az
nj chatcauX in the country. q steam LII
'cht. splendid jewels and spent great m'
ms II various charities. the money 81
I which she borrowed ct very hipb LII
'cS lfoNi various money lenders and
INKS. IRON one man. :; NJ Girard "N
e SCf "i,24t,0OO; from another man
100000. ard from several she So La
red I1orc than half million. t''''
All this time she was asserting that ~
safe contained 12o.O0O.OOO francs 'i'
securities which she could not touch
thout the consent of the Crawfords,
q to calm the fears of her victims she y
'uid show them the officially sealed mo
'eiopes containing the fortune. with par
atldaNitS of the notarieS aS /, their lori
ltents. y few years ago communica the
MS from the mysterious Ora wfords gan
'sed. the brothers were comnIetelv Hel
t sight Of aud al that Mime. Hmm and
t could do was to borrow money rich
lch she did most successfully. con- dire;
erlng that the only proof of the ex- hav
.hce OF the fortune WAS her word vate
II rare
n 1877 Girard one of her princinal conc
ditors. committed suicide on account ut Il
his failure TO collect the money he all.
lent TO her His eState WAS liuui he $