The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-08-28
THE GREATEST SWlNDLE OF The
CENTURY,"

The Humbert scandal, which has
terminated in the conviction of the
principals, was one of the most re-
markable cases of fraud which has ever
occurred in Europe. 1t involved over
$40, 900. 600 which the swindlers took out
of the bankers, brokers and prominent
politicians of France. Its inception
and contamination displayed the most
extraordinary cunning and simplicity
so simple that laymen can hardly COM
prehend how the courts have been used
to deceive the victims.
Briefly told it is this. The Hum
berts and their associates claimed in
1882 that an American, named Craw-
ford, had bequeathed to Therese Hum
bert an estate of $40, 100000 for saving
his life, when he was suddenly taken ill
on a railway train. Two fictitious
nephews of Crawford, who never eX-
listed, were brought forward to contest
the will. The suit was begun by emf
nent lawyers of Paris. The Humberts
admitted in the legal papers that the
bequest had been made, but denied the
right of the nephews to any share in
the estate. By fraudulent arrange
ments both parties to the suit, who
conspirators, asked the court to make
a decree directing that the vast estate.
said to be in securities, should be de-
posted in the safe of the Humberts,
and sealed up until the case had been
heard and decided. The Humberts had
opened a magnificent establishment in
Paris, and ny skillful management at
tracted the attention of noted men in
nd a high social
ton. They began to borrow money
in large sums of bankers and capital
lists, by showing them the decree OF
the court that the securities should be
deposited in Their safe, and also show
ing a certificate filed in court by them
that they had been so deposited and
the safe had been sealed. Here was the
gist of the fraud. The court had trust
ed entirely to the statements of the
lawyers on both sides, and at their re-
quest had made the decree. The bank
ers assumed that the court had fun
knowledge of the matter, when, in fact,
it had signed the decree for deposit
on the request of the lawyers without
any knowledge OF the facts. 1t never
occurred to any one that the court had
been imposed upon. The Humberts
brought to their grand residence the
principal statesmen of France and en-
tertained them at lavish expense. The
sealed safe, which was supposed to
contain securities of the value of lOO,-
900 900 francs, was carefully guarded
day and night by special policemen;
occasionally visitors We're permitted to
see it. on the strength of their in
terest in the contents, the Humberts
borrowed vast sums of money for TWEEN
ty wears. one banker loaned them
So, 900, 900, another loaned them $4,000 900.
Many banks bought their notes, with
the security of an interest in the es-
tate, when settled. One of the Hum
berts was elected a French senator.
one of the females had married a dis
tinguished senator, and his name was
used as a cloak for the frauds.
For over twenty years the scheme of
fraud was practiced. At times an ex-
posture seemed imminent, but with rare
skill II was avoided. Their social stand
ing, and the sealed safe, enabled the
Humberts to make fresh loans, based
on the contents of the safe. The ficti-
tious suit was fought out in the courts
year after year with all the energy of
a real issue. Compromises We're fcti-
tiously proposed and rejected. This
was done in order TO keep the fraud
alive. 1t was generally believed that
the Humberts would win the suit, and
old creditors We're paid off by new
loans made by men who implicitly be-
lieved in the contents of the sealed
safe. and were anxious to make large