Norwich bulletin., 1914-06-27
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF THE HUMBERTS.

One of the most gigantic frauds in the annals of crime was the swindling operations of the Humberts in Paris, which is well within the memory of most readers of this article. These impostors were able to borrow close to 10000 900 upon the security of a safe containing paste diamonds worth per haps S2, a few shares of valueless stock in a deceased company and a mass of waste paper.
 The start of this swindle was as far back as 1878 when the Humberts began to reside in Paris. The lavish display of the family attracted the at tention of those socially prominent and the rumor was circulated that they were fabulously wealthy.
 In lSS"-at least. su the Humberts claimed-there died in Nice a New York millionaire named Robert Henry Crawford who, 1t was stated had left Mime. Humbert SEQ 0GO, ,00O because she had nurSed him through a serious ill., ness. The dead millionaire's nephews, however, found a will dated the very same day as the one that gave Mme Humbert the vast sum, and fin this will 1t was stated that the money should go to these nephews and to Mime. Humberts 12 year old sister, Marie d'Aurignac
 The story was further continued to the effect that negotiations were held
 
 ford nephews and the following plan agreed upon: Until Marie should come of age all the bonds, stocks and other securities should be kept un- touched in a huge safe that was built in room of the Humbert mansion, Legal consent for the compromise was obtained,
 People in passing the Humbert home in Paris were wont to nudge one an other and say: There is where the hundred million franc fortune is locked up." All this notoriety helped the Humberts socially and financially. Large sums of money were readily turned over to them on the strength of the legacy, and even the mighty Bank of France lent Mime. Humbert whatever money she requested By the time Marie came of age the Hum berts had borrowed about 1000. 900.
 Then came the awakening. There had never been any fortune. There had been no Robert Henry Crawford, New York millionaire" The whole thing was a gigantic fake. The Hum berts had lived for nineteen years in the most lavish splendor on practical ly nothing.
 There was a train of ruined cred itors, one of whom committed suicide. The Humberts' banking concern col lapsed and thousands of poor people lost all of their savings. The Hum burts were finally pursued, brought to trial and the whole family found guilty.
 The first exposure occurred on May g, 1902, when the detective department of Paris made an examination of the Humberts' safe at the direction of the court. They found therein, instead of securities worth s12,o0o.00o. nothing but an old baton some old papers and the official seals yrhinh had L- swindle possible.
 In the meantime the Humberts had escaped and a search was made for them all over Europe. They were ffn- ally arrested in Madrid on the 20th of December of the same year and were only taken after a desperate attempt on their part to escape. They were brought to Paris and put under police surveillance. They had a number of secret hearings. but the first public hearing was on February II, 1903 when the case of M. Cuttani was taken up.
 The trial on the charge of forgery and swindle was not begun until August 8, 1903, which was held be- fore the Seine ASsize court The pris- oners were Mime. Humbert, her hus- band, Frederick: her two brothers, Romaine and Emile Daurignac. The trial brought out much damaging ev- idence against the Humb-=ts, but they maintained that operatitNs they had conducted were in good faith and they said that public prejudices that were raised against them caused the bank ing firm to fail.
 The trial lasted until Aug 27. when the whole family was found guilty, The foreman of the jury announced that the verdict was affirmative con- corning the question of Justification and swindling and negative upon the sub- sidlary questions.
 The court sentenced Mms. Hum bert and her husband each to five years imprisonment and the payment of s2G: Emil was sentenced to two years and Romaine to three years. The Humberts served their sentences and of late years nothing further has been heard of them.