The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-17


ease tax credulity. and seem to belong
to the DOMAIN of fiction. They revive
memories Of the Humbert case. when
Matame Humbert was summoned be-
fore the French courts for swindles
which made crimes Of address perpe-
t~a;ed by the famous confidence men
ana women who Lad preceded her ap-
pear like petty offenses, NJ. Coouelin,
the famous French actor, said that her
tIial would be one OF the greatest
dramas in history. Gullibility is not
confined to lighthearteded French
Eea, lulled into confidence by the
persuasive arts of womanknd.
The Chadwick affair, while scarcely
approaching in dramatic interest the
Humbert escapade, or rivaling the lat
ter in the total Of losses sustained by
the victims. promises 10 take high
rank among the adroit swindles ,hat
have astonished the world. The cases
are similar. in that both Of the wo-
men negotiated enormous loans upon
mythical securiti,G. purporting to rep
resent value very much greater than
the sums secured. La Grande Their
csc" rs the Breach designated Mad
eme Humbert. professed TO an inher-
itence of S2oooo,o00, which che offered
as security for loans. amounting TO
Sl4.000,000 She promised to produce
the fictitious brothers Crawford,
American millionaires, on whom she
based her stcsy Of the vast inheritance.
The alleged title deeds and securities
we're hold IN a safe which had been
carefully sealed by the French arthor.
ities without seeing them. Upon these
unseen documents and forged instru-
mnts as security she secured funds
from all classes bankers, usurers,
small traders
Technical objections to the opening
o. the mysterious safe prevailed for
many months. The intricate machin.
cry Of the French courts were skillful
" managed by Madame Humbert's
lawyers to postpone the Inevitable ais
closures. Before her downfall she was
generous to a fault. The great men OF
the Republic basked in her favor The
'amilies of President Carhot and Faure
were intimate with her, and generals.
senators and deputies, sat at her ta
BILE This patronage impressed the
business world, fact which was
adroitly used to secure money from
these who are fascinated by appear.
ances.
Mrs. Chadwick, less brilliant and
Successtul than Madame Humbert and
sooner caught in the meshes Of the
law, has her bundle Of fictitious secur-
tiles, and, Ike Madame Humbert has
Travelled far by means OF a plausible
manner, an unabashed front and suf
ncient knowledge Of business metE.
Dds and the WEAKNESS Of money lend.
ers 70 allay suspicion and accomplish
surprising results. The resemblance
between these two criminal life
dramas is striking al least in the final
sceue-an empty safe. securities dis.
covered not to be worth a song. the
disappointment and chagrin of bank
ers supposed 20 be shrewd and eau
tiCus, the collapse OF fair regulations
ana retribution
IL is difficult to understand how II
has come about that veterans cf I'm
ance. trusted and cautious bankers.
trained to scan sharply paper offered
70 secure small loans. surrendered
hundreds OF thousands 10 Mrs. Chad
wick upon securities whose worthless
ness would have been revealed by an
ordinary investigation. The success
OF Mrs. Chadwick's forays IN the realm
of finance has its tragic side. but the
Story Of over-conhdence and blind
faith told 10 the current dispatches
constitute a comedy Of costly errors
which has had few parallels in 6nan-
clal history. The facility with which
this audacious woman hhancier reliey-
ec the custodians Of money Of the
treasure puts the ordinary cracksman
tc shame Philadelphia Ledger.