The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-05-25
LOUIS A. GOURDAIN DEAD.
Picturesque Promoter of Littery and
Other SchemeS-He Was known
All Over the Country.


20: Louis A. Gourdain, at one time one
of the most picturesque high finacciers
in the criminal annals of the country,
died in London Tuesday, according to
a cable received by his wife, who is
living with relatives in Dupre, between
DeSoto and Bell streets. Members Of
the family were naturally reluctant to
talk about the end of the unfortunate
man. o
Gourdain s exploits in high finance,
beginning modestly in fake lottery con-
Germs in this vicinity, soon after the
Louisiana lottery was put out Of bust
ness. spread oil over the country, and
no sooner did he run afoul Of the law
with one venture than he bobbed up in
another part of the country with an
entirely new scheme. He had remark
able faculty for escaping conviction,
though he was once convicted in To-
peka, Kas., and again in the East.
His first fake lottery venture was the
Louisiana Grand Lottery, which netted
him a big fortune before the Federal
officials put him out of business. Then
he blossomed out as the creator Of the
Louisiana State Loan and Trust Com
pany, another lottery in new disguise.
This concern had its headquarters in
Baronne street, and though Gourdaln
was arrested, it was impossible to con-
Wet him, because his lawyers success
fully fought the efforts of the postof
fee inspectors to seize his books and
papers. Then he drifted West, and the
next heard of him was his arrest, trial
and conviction IN Topeka, Kan. He
then began to show signs Of mental
weakness, or, as some believed, sought
to create the impression that he was
unbalanced. He refused to hire a law
yer and was convicted. Then he hired
lawyer, and on appeal got out on 4
technicality.
He came back to New Orleans and
organized the Bank of North America,
which had an insurance company as a
side issue, three-fourths of the capital
Of each concern being held by the other.
The bank was located at the corner of
Natehez alley and Camp street. The
authorities finally put it out of bust
ness.
He drifted away from here, and en-
gagged in. various schemes, all of which
seemed to net him handsome returns,
and then one day he blew into town,
arrayed in Immaculate white, and en-
gagged the finest suite at the st. Charles
hotel. Doubts as to his ability to pay
were removed by his paying for time
in advance. The legislature was N
session at the time, and he conceived
the idea of making an address to the
solons. Arrayed in white, he appeared
in the legislative halls, and was forci-
bly, elected.
Again he disappeared and then in
the building at corner of Camp and St.
Joseph streets, blossomed out with a
gorgeous sign, "Chemical Bank In
another corner of the front was the
sign Of some other bank, and around
the corner was the title of some corpo-
ration with high-sounding title. The
building was to all intents and purposes
vacant, and was used purely as blind
for one of his schemes which he was
operating in the East. This partook
of sort of lottery of Louisiana swamp
lands, though his igh-sounding adYer7
tisements proclaimed the lands rich,
fertile and then under cultivation.
This was before the reclamation had
been put into practice.
The authorities finally gathered him
in in New York, and he has not been
heard of since. He has been living
quietly in London for some time.
Gourdain was a member of one of the
most prominent families in Louisiana,
but he had peculiar streak in him,
which may have been insanity in an I'M
usual form, or clever crlminality.