The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-12-30
The hUMBERTS.

The news which arrived on the cable
steamer Silvertown that the Humberts
had been captured in Madrid consti
tutes one of the closing chapters in
the most famous swindling game of
modern times The Humberts cost
the Parisians about twelve million
dollars. They extended their opera
tions over twenty years, and during
all that time lived on the best that
Paris could afford and had entree to
society in one of the most exclusive
social centers of the world. Money
lenders We're the chief losers in the
gigantic fraud. The people who
worked the deception were NJ. and
Madame Humbert, Marie d'Aurignac,
Henry Crawford and Robert Crawford
The methods employed to get for
tune from the shrewd money lenders
of the Continent, We're simple yet were
accomplished in roundabout ways. The
scheme was carefully worked out long
before IL was launched.
Madame Humbert first filed n will
naming herself as the sole heir to
fictitious estate, said to be that of
r. H. Crawford. an American million
aire, who was claimed to have died
leaving an estate valued at 100, 900, 900
francs. Then the Crawford Brothers
came along and claimed to have an
other will to the same estate. They
said that the mythical estate had been
divided by the dead man into four
shares for themselves Madame Hum
bert and her sister. Marie d'Aurignac
a fake contest of the alleged wills
was then arranged. In accordance
with French law an order was secured
directing that the title, deeds and Sc
curities of the supposed estate which
were in possession of Madame Hum
bert, should be produced. This was
easily arranged and the court was fool
ed into giving an order to have these
all sealed up with the courts seal and
locked in monster safe in the Hum
bert residence.
on the strength of the documents
thus sealed up by the court the schem-
ers had little difficulty in borrowing a
few million francs. by and by the
money lenders commenced to ask why
/ the parties did not come to n compro-
mise, and to meet them it was sug-
/ gested by one Of the Crawford Broth
/ ers that he should marry Marie as
/ soon as she became of age and thus
/ compromise the matter. This fooled
/ the lenders a while and when Marie
became of age they were fooled n Sec
ond time by Marie refusing to marry
/ Crawford and both brothers bringinl
civil suit against Madame Humbert
for the entire estate. They secured
an injunction restraining her from
touching the big fortune that was sup
posed to be locked in the safe.
This sec-saw game went on for TWEEN
|, ~ years, Tho parties to the fraud
/. by each OF these eNpedlents, succeed
cd In borrowing large sums Of money
, from London ana Paris bankers. They
lived as only millinnaires lived. II d
creditor became clamorous an offel
was Immediately made 90 buy up hil
claim This sllencod him and thu
oner was refused aud confidence re-
stored, ono banker advanced a mil
Hon to tho srhcmers aud knowinl
eventually he had had been deceived
KILLED himself
Meanwhile the Crawford estate be
came known to am Paris Guide
showed tourists the Crawford hous
ana even pointed out tho safe whiol
was supposed a. contain the millions
> People hegan 90 have suspicious
; Creditors irled 90 restore confidence a
'ihsy thought lhls would b. ihe onl