The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-24
THEORY ABOUT MADAME HuMBERT.
OF Gypsy Descent, She Was Trying 20
Bring Her Fortune tn Pass.

Emily Crawf0rds Letters.
For twenty years Mime. Humbert sought
to give shape TO her dFeams of FL Dorado.
Indeed. there is ground for the view that
she ended by almost believing In her own
lies.
A fact throws singular light upon her
whole history; her grandfather. who -four
ished toward the beginning of last century.
was a gypsy. Read George Borrow's ac-
counts of gypsy life-no more penetrating
character sketches were ever written-and
many obscure corners I'm Mime. Humbert's
personality lose their mystery. She was.
in fact, an improved cross-breed. her
French. and perhaps remotely Spanish and
Moorish. ancestry. far from diluting the i'm
herited traits of her Romany descent, gave
them support" which enabled them 10
assume transcendent perfection.
What is the story of the Crawford mill
lions but a fortune teller's romance?
If the gypsies have succeeded 50 well as
fortune tellers. the reason is that they
extremely superstitous themselves In
Spain at their idle moments they will ex-
anime each others palms and deduce the
future from them.
The tawny sibyl who wanders over the
high roads of Europe. and persusdes serv-
ant girls to cross her hand with a silver bit.
is but half insincere when she prophesics
that a rich young man will fall I'm love with
her client; she probably believes I'm the ex-
istence OF this young man. The word rich
is added for the sake of embellishments.
all her stories. Having followed the Hum
bert case from the very beginning I have
become convinced that the lady adven-
turess, who is about To take her trial be-
lieved i'm some of her faIsehoods
She was certainly persuaded when still
girl that she would become rich beyond the
dreams of avarice-and she was nor far
wrong How would this wealth come? She
looked at the palms of her hand (this is a
conjecture on my part. but "A reasonable
one) and saw the fortune must come I'm the
shape of windfall. A marriage? No. she
was already engaged. Perhaps n pack of
cards would solve the mystery. Ha, a
spade: sudden death. fortune Immediately
to follow. IL must be legacy. She was
not aware she had any wealthy relative.
but the phrase american uncle is a house.
hold word i'm the most distant French prov
ince Yes, her millionaire benefactor must
be an American.
IL took Nine Humbert some years to
reach this point in the narrative. ] have
no doubt that. in its broad outlines. she
really worked herself up 10 belief in her
dreams. When IL came TO filling I'm details
(for she was already raising loans right aud
left, then she tried deliberate deception.
1t is clear. however, that no hard and fast
line of demarks ton existed i'm her mind be-
tween fraud and fond fancy.
In curious book. lie Mensonge" t'Ly-
ing''), by Professor Duprat, published re-
Gently in the Bibliotheque de Philosophie
Contemporaine-an excellent scientific series
the author analyses xhaustively the diff.
ferent types OF liars. in childhood and old
age, and the different motives that inspire
them.
/ was startled to find almost every one
these motives could be found Iva Nine. Hum
bert's career.
Among the types he mentions arc liars
through hysteria, greed, pride. ambition.
self-defense. imagination Every one of his
cases / could exemplify from the life or
Nine. Humbert Another chapter OF
strange interest is on lying by degenerstes
through lack of mental coordination,
wherein the professor explains that, al
though such individuals are incapable Of
the mental effort necessary TO connect sew
eral true propositions. they Will show mar
velous ingenuity in piecing together false
Ones much so that IL Will take years to
find them out. Another chapter on the
different degrees of insincerity or liars
might be used as a running commentary
on the Humbert case.
Mime. Humbert takes her trial with pub
lie opinion ia her favor, and should not DO
surprised IL she were sentenced lightly. Her
life by means happy one II she
swindled right and left, she was in her turn
the prey of sharks. ursurers and even politi-
clans such NJ Flourens. ex-foreign secre-
tary, whose begging letters the Matn pub
fishes this morning. She and her family
were sometimes on the verge of starvation
i'm the midst of what seemed insolent luxu-
ries. IL is on record that her daughter Eva
remained several weeks indoors because
she had not pair of boots, Msitre Labor
may be trusted 10 make the most or these
facts before the jury.