The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-11

considerable loan (sonne 25,gs francsb
based the credit he gave or the character
the Senator Humbert When the story OF
! delay in realizing the inheritance De-
came a pretext for not paying him, he
soon made up his mind There are no
rich Portuguese" he said pIumply- With
difficulty he recovered his money. Old
man Dauriynac had already tried TO pla-
cate him him by mentioning that NIL
| nonaire American was about leaving an
other legacy TO a second daughter ms
| was received with such a blast of in
credulity that the subject was dropped.
| 1t would not be worth mentioning TINS
| were not the first Indication, in the year
1881, of making the rich benefactor an
| Americana plan realized four years
later by the invention OF the Crawfords.
In 1872 Senator Humbert was made Min
lister of Justice His first action, as head
| Of the entire judicial system OF France
| vas TO give his authority TO the smashing
+, OF the Union Generaie-a great bank
! founded by the Conservative opponents
of the Radical Ministry. Whether this
! was done from political motives or
whether he was bribed by the Bourse
spectators who profted By the failure.
or whether he took measues which were
certainly arbitrary on principle. is an
other problem which interests the his
| tory of Republican France lola, one
sided as usual. has made the speculative
side of the disaster into novel; Ar
| gent
Many find here the origin OF the Hum
/ bert money, which enabled Therese TO be-
gin financial operations OF a magnitude
that would have appalled, the Stock Ex-
changes Of the world. IN any case,
month after the downfall of The Union
( Generate. Therese Hurnert and her hts
band moved into q hancsome mouse in
rick quarter of Paris, and began the
c., wded receptions TO which the Senator
.av.ted his Republican friends II is i'm
! poss. ole to trace the order Of the first
heavy loans. but lawsuits of later years
! years seems to show that there was more
talk OF liquid money in these months Of
lss2, when Senator Hunbert was Minister
: of Justice. than could be explained by
small sums already borrowed.
The second considerable loan was for
50 900 francs. was made by the Sera-
tor III person from a doctor near Mar
bonnie on the strength OF the Portuguese
story; the Senator was as blandly conf
dent in this he had previously been in
the inheritance from the godmother. as he
related the story in 1873 to Senator Con-
| STAINS
/ Before 1883 was over the doctors loan
had lie dto the buying of the Chateau Of
/ Celeyran. near Narbonne for 2.0o0.Goo
francs. for which the payment was the
Signatures of Therese Humbert and her
husband. Frederic; TO the borrowing of
nequal sum in ready money in the
Eeighborhood: and to the buying of sec
ond chatesu--vives-Ea Paris.
The borrowing and debts of this year
alone amounted to more than 100000
francs. Of which more than half has never
been paid. The borrowing from banks
also began this year with Laleu of Cam
brai. All these creditors agree that the
credit they gave was based largely on
the good name OF the Senator and ex-
Minister OF Justice, who certified his
daughter-in-law story OF the Portuguese
inheritance.
Here begins another curious phase Of
( the case-the use of political and judicial
influence made By the Humberts. ".
Joaquin the Councillor OF State. who was
so prominent among their friends up to
the very day of the flight now first ap-
pears. In these years he held high Offices
Ia the Ministry OF Justice and for time
vas at the head of the pardon depart
ment. One of the earliest loans which
mounted into the millions. had precisely
for its motive the obtaining of pardon
( for the son of a rich country gentleman.
; near NarbOnne, case of military deser-
ton. Again when the former proprietor
OF Celeyran sued for payment on the
property he had sold. NJ. Joaquin impress
ed judges and lawyers az Narbonne by
accompanying Madame Humbert to their
town. He was connected with the work
OF purifying the French courts by
wedding OFT judges opposed to the
publican order of things. His personality
appears again and again in the story Of
the Humberts.
u. Joaquin now protests that, during
his twenty years of daily intimacy with
the Humberts. he never once deliberately
use dhis high influence in their favor In
any case. his mere association with them
would have weight with courts ard cred
itors alike The opponents OF Radical
Republicanism. who strive in every way
to make political capital out of the Hum
bert svindle. have a special grievance
against ". Joaquin: il was his single vote
in the Ccnseil d'Etat which authorized
the Interpretation OF the Religious Asso-
Citations Law used ythe government 10
close the sisters schools last spring and
summer.
Other political complications begin in
these years. which have after results Up
TO the present One OF the NarbonRe
creditors pressed so violently for pay
rnent that Senator Humbert himself sign
dan ackno wledgement OF SEQ, coo francs
/ narrowed by Frederic and Therese- When
| the note was enforced. Il was found
| to have been Illegally executed. and a
heavy fine was due to the Stamp Depart
ment This was brought 70 the attention
/ OF VI. Garnet then Minister OF Finance,
who reduced the fine. and the note was
finally paid II Is curious that such
careiessness should not have inpresssl
NJ CARROTS mind: but confidence in Sena-
tor Humbert. "a patriarch of the repub-
lie. seems to have been unlimited. Short
( " afterwards. when Ca-not became Pres
ident. lbs wife presented The-sse every
where. and douhly increased Ter social
prestige.
Meanwhile the lawsuits in the south OF
I France turned fsvora bly, 70 the Hum
/ berts. and allowed them delay in paving
debts already contracted. and did not
( inture their credit for new loans. IN spite
I d <hls Ie<ai troubles Frederic H,.r1aerr