Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-12

per and in many subtle ways a.
clarlng their great wealth, the HUH
berts of France We're able TO IN
duce bankers and merchants TO ieho
them without question Sl'.ooo'Voo'
upon which they lived two decades III
great luxury and splendor. Ihey GU
| culated a most wonderful tale. claim
ing that a New York multi-milllon-
aire had died at Nice. leaving Nine
Humbert 10000, 900 on account OF her
great kindness in nursing HIM through
serious Illness Besides the ihNeh
ton of the multi-mllionalre. tney US
covered some 'nephews for hun also;
They are alleged to have arranged
another will. but dated the Same daS'
that gave Nmc. Humbert the $so.ooo',
600. This newly found will devised
all the multi; -millionaires money IN
equal shares to his "nephews ana TO
Nine. Eum,.ert's little sister, Marie
| d Aurignac They industriousiy circn-
lated the stNry that the "nephews
and the Humberts had settled the
matter among themselves. that all Sc
curities were to be kept untouched IN
a certain safe in the Humoert man
sion in Avenue de la Armee until the
small sister was of legal age. Their
mere word was accepted and legal
consent was obtained for this COM
promise.
The romantic story of the Ii"mherts
!
and their mansion was one OF the
show places of Paris. They borrowed
immense sums. even the BANK OF
France lent them money without
hesitation. and they continued to Dor
row until creditors became suspicious.
The detective department OF Paris
made some damaging discoveries. and
the court ordered an examination OF
the cafe containing the so-called Sc
curities" When the safe was opened.
the detectives found an old baton.
button, an Italian penny, some waste
naner and the OFFICIAL seals" which
had enabled them to perpetrate the
great fraud.
The Humberts and the brothers fed
from Paris. All Europe was searched.
and they We're eventually found IN
Madrid. They were taken to Paris
and tried. After much damaging evil
dence the whole family were found
guilty Nine. Humbert and her hIs-
land were fined $40 and sentenced to
Imprisonment for FIVE years. Ro-
maine was sentenced for three years
and his brother Emile for two years.
A long list of ruined creditors. col
lapsed banks-many thousands OF
poor people lost all their savings.
and some suicides, was the harvest OF
this unrighteous scheme.
*
THAT a bubble with a flower
name prefix should have been
able 10 demoralize the business of an
entire country is strange and curious
demand upon twentieth century cre-
dulity. and it is still more difficult to.
associate the gay, Haunting. familiaE
little tulip and it's present 1900 va
rieties with a bubble of any sort. Yet
it is part of Hollands history.
While the tulip bubble created a
great commotion in that country. the
craze had comparatively a short life.
The tulip was introduced into Eu-
rope from Turkey. Its name is de-
rived from Turkish word signifying
turban, which it resembles in form
The flower became great favorite in
Holland. 1t was highly priced ex-
otto and a verx.sex1ensive possessfosi
Only the very rich were able to OBJ
tain the bulbs direct from CONSTANT
nople. Every year the -seputation Of
the value of the tulip widened until
the rage extended to all classes OF the
population. Merchants and shopkeep-
ers We'd with each other in the rarity
prices for the bulbs
In 1894 the mania to possess them
was SO great that all the ordinary
industries of the country were
neglected and the entire Dutch
world gave itself up to the tulip
trade. The varieties had increased TO
forty-fve. the rarest bringing pre-
posterous prices. One Spectator paid
100000 forms for forty bulbs. The
most precious of all the varieties was
known as the Semper Augustus At
one time there were only two roots
ofthis description in all Holland-one
in the possession of n dealer in Am
sterdam and the other owned by a
dealer in HARLEM. Spectators made
every effort to obtain these rare bulbs.
The successful bidder for the HARLEM
offered the fee-simple of twelve
acres of building ground for it, and
obtained the prize. Another bidder
paid 1900 forms. plus a new carriage,
two gray horses and a set of new
harness for the Amsterdam root
Ownership in individual bulbs was
divided into shares.
The rage was not confined to the
moneyed class. In 1886 tulip marts