Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-15
Gets Applause Instead While She is 0ccu-
pying Witness Stand.
BANKER cATTAUI SADLY DlsCOMFlTEO
Accused Displays Remarkable Memory o.
Transactions Years Ago
GIVES ACCURATELY MINUTE DETAILS
COnvinces Audience in Court She Wns
Ruined by Usureru Instead of
Herself Being n GiEan-
tic SwindIer.

Copyright, 1903, by Press Publishing Coz
PARIS, Feb. 14-(New York World Ca
blegram-Specisl Telegram by her brill
lance and magnetism Nine. Therese Hum
bert has turned the hostility of Paris into
applause. In danger OF the mob two months
ago, she is now a popular heroine. This
magical change she has wrought by the
spell Of her personality. In the two days
she has been in court she has dominated
the whole proceeding. She even took the
case out Of her own lawyers hands. From
the moment she swept into the trial room,
calm, dsuntless determined. followed by
Frederick Humbert and the Daurignacs,
trembling and detected, she was in COM
mand Of everything. She completely
turned the tables on the Paris banker
whose suit 1t was that brought her into
court. 1t is a mere side issue to the main
trial, but 1t has served to gain for her
popular sympathy to such an extent that
It inevitably will have tremendous effect
on the bigger trial when 1t comes on.
Nine Humbert's domination OF her audi
ence is described by Varennes in Figaro,
who says:
Her magnetism is amazing. You listen
TO her, you believe her. If you we're the
Judge you would be on her side. If you
were a millionaire you would lend her your
fortune"
Applause rang out in court several times
while she was on the witness stand. Calm,
majestic, self composed, she never lost
her poise, while several times putting to
discontinue Cattaui, the Paris banker who
has sued her for libel in calling him q
usurer. When the banker became en-
tangled in his facts and dates, and was
ioundering helplessly with his memoranda,
trying to remember. she calmly supplied
every detail remarking coldly
II forget nothing"
Her skill adroitness and apparent sim
cerity won over the audience in court,
which plainly showed sympathy with her.
| The audience showed its enjoyment of
Banker Cattauis discontinue. She quickly
put him on the defensive. Before the case
was fairly under way she had convinced
the listeners ttat she had been the victim
of an interruptions usurer. Telling her
| story in tones that commanded the SYM
pathy and belief OF her audience, she at
| tributed her financial ruin to usurers. She
said the excessive interest charged her by
Cattaui ran the sum she borrowed from
him up to 100000.
The climax came when, pointing her
finger at the shrinking banker, she cried:
''Pd rather be in the four walls of a
prison cell than in your place."
The details of her transactions she re-
lated with striking accuracy. She forgot
nothing. When Cattaui, even with the aid
of his papers, had been foggy about the
transactions OF ten years ago. she glibly
recalled everything
Intimations Of exposures involving per-
! sons in high places were made in her story
on the stand Allusions containing scarcely
veiled threats were scattered through It,
II want to see Minister Valle," she cried,
| referring to the minister of justice. "Hls
presence will sooth my feelings, and also
benefit my creditors have photographs.
You will see, yes. will tell the whole
| truth"
These peculiar references to the French
minister of Justice caused a sensation, and
finally, when M. Humbert was testifyine,
the presiding Justice sharply forbade
further mention of Minister Valle's name.