The Florida star., 1902-06-20
THE HUHbERT MILLIONS.
How a Scheme tn Borrow $4,000, 900 Was
COnceiv, d i'm France.

How a Scheme to Borrow ST. O,OOO, 900 Was
Conceiv> d i'm France.
Public opinion is intensely agitated
over what probably. without eXaggera-
ton. is described as the most remark
able case of swindling recorded in
France for over Il century. says dis
patch from Paris 10 the New York
Tribune. This daring speculation on
human credulity is known as THE
Humbert millions"
a phantom Inheritance OF over S20,-
00O.UOO. the only tangible evidence of
which is the fictitious will Of an imag-
inary American millionaire named
Robert Henry Crawford has been
manipulated with daring and consum-
mate skill and made the subject OF
such intricate litigation that the self
styled lesatees. NJ. ana Nine. Frederic
HumbrrT. have during the last twenty
years succeeded in obtaining from
leading bankers and financial inStitu-
tionS of Paris. including the Bank of
France itself, the Credit Foncier and
the COmpaguie Generate, loans amount
ing To more than SlO.00O.OUO in cash,
and this upon the sole security of a
Zealously guarded but empty safe.
The method Of procedure of this
queen of swindIcrs was almost Ma
pOlconic in conception and execution
and may be briefly summarized.
Twenty-Five years ago there died AT
Nice Il Mr.. Henry Robert Crawford.
who left To ThcrrSe q d'Aurignac his en-
tire fortune. She had nurSCd the Kind
hearted American dUvOtCdly during Il
long Illness. which had been brought
OF by cuts in the head and erySipclaS.
Meanwhile Mile Thcrcsc d'Auri=nac
had married NJ Frederic Hunbcrt
But just us Mime IIumhrrt waS about
to enter into pOSS; 'SSion of her cIor
nous windfall two Americans. Henry
and Robert Crawford. produced will
written and signed 10y the late Henry
Robert Crawford. drawn up. like the
former one. al Nice and Of the same
date. by this will the tcstator hc
Queathed To his two ncphews. Henry
anG Robert Crawford. and TO Mmc
HumbprtS Younger sister. Mile. Marie
d'Aurignac. the whole of his fortune
on condition 0f their paying To Nine
HumLcrt an annuity of $1,000.
Thervupon the rival claimants
brought the case before the cour.>
The laws delay dragged the affair
through multiple phases. The case
seemed destined never to end. Hun
drrdS of thousands OF dollars were
spent in counsel fees and legal eX
p,-iIsrs. Those .who are wise after
tie event" now point out that amid
this wilderness of litigation tie mys-
terouS Crawford brothers never ap-
pcarrd in person. but only by attorney
1t is also noted that in the suits
brought hy Nine. Humhert the exist
ence OF the Crawford brothers WIS
never disputed; consequently the dry.
formal vcrhiage of the Judgments of
the tribunals. invariably accepted rs
gospel truth by all Frenchmen. could
be adduced rs irrefutable evidence of
the existence not only of the vast for
tune in question. but also of the invis-
ible Crawford brothers. who. as Il mat
ter of fact. like the famous $20,OO0,000,
were purely imaginary.
Another mysterious feature was that
Nine. Frederic Humbert declared that
she had in her safe money and Sc
rurities amounting to over S20.OOO.O 900
'aI that this sum had been intrusted
Sher for safe keeping by the other
argxies. and that consequently she had
nothing whatever available
ure cash payments because. according
0an agreement. duly attested and ex-
,ibited. between her and the phantom
FRA words. she would lose all rights if
Ihe were to touch the contents Of the
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