Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-15
RETREAT OF The HUMBERTS
ONCE NOTORIOUS FAMILY NOW
LIVING A QUIET LIFE.
Winegrowers' Federation in Southern
France-Capita1 Punishment In
the French Code.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
PARIS, October 15.-The retreat of the
Humberts, who were released from
prison about six months ago, has been
discovered on the banks Of the Seine,
where the entire family, including Fred
eric and Therese Humbert. Roman D'Au-
rignac and the mother OF Frederic, reside
in an unpretentious house, hidden away
In q side street. 1t now appears that,
after all, Frederic Humbert, who at first
on leaving prison had declared his inten-
ton to live apart, has become reconclled
to his wife and the other members of the
family, and what Is more. has shown the
courage to get to work and earn liveli-
hood for them ALL At the time Of the
trial much was salu disparagingly of his
pictures. but he has proved, nevertheless.
his talent as an artist, and today he
paints >steadily from morning to night.
and the sale of his pictures provides
practically all the revenue of the family.
ROMAN D'Aurignac takes up his brother
in-law's defense enthusiastically, and ex-
plains that never was there a man so I'M
fortunate and maligned. Frederic, he
said, always believed in his wife's
dreams as he did himself. But now, of
course, he has realized his mistake. Nine
lief in the fabulous heritage was sincere
I'D to the last, and she has merely been
the victim Of her own visions. She Is
now only the shadow of her former SELF
Nobody speaks to her any more of the
past, and she attends quietly to the
duties of her now modest household The
entire family, however, SO far Is happy.
and all they ask is for the public to let
them alone.
Wine Trust Forming.
A great vinegrowers' federation of the
south has been formed at Beziers. which
may have important consequences. All
the syndicates Of three departments. the
Aude, the Herault. the Pyrenees-Or-
entales, sent del, gates to a meeting which
had been prepared for several weeks, and
an agreement was drawn to form a big
federation, representing all the wine
growers in the south. Their object Is
to fix the prices and conditions under
which the native wine Is to be sold, and
as practically all the proprietors of the
three departments have subscribed to the
terms OF the federation It may result in
the forming of a huge wine trust. not in
the interests Of few owners, but for the
one of great Importance in the south. and
may bring about the solution of the
crisis.
Capital Punishment.
The Journal des Debats publishes a
leading article on capital punishment.
strongly disappearing Of the reprieve Of
Scotland. the chad murderer. The Debats
says that even II 1t were in favor Of the
abolition Of the death penalty, which 1t
is not. 1t would not agree that 1t should
be suppressed by systematic reprieves in
stead of being excluded from the code.
1t Is not for that purpose that Tile right
of reprieve has been included in the con-
stitution. It exists in order to admit Of
indulgence in certain special cases which
appear worthy of such Indulgence. or
where a miscarriage Of justice Is sus-
pected. 1t Is giving 1t q false interpreta-
ton to use It systematically for suppress
ing de facto one Of the laws OF the coun-
try. The Debats would understand the
If 1t were in q country or 1t . time when