New Britain herald., 1930-10-22
CREDITORS BACK
 FEMININE PONZI'
Woman Financier Promises to
 Pay Back Losses Sustained
BY MINOTT SAUNDERS

IdTlS, OCl. - hIlAc- MdEllle Hanau, called by some a financial genius and by others the woman Fonzi of France" is trying to stage a comet back. With liabilities esti- mated at 15o,000.000 francs (s6.- o00,O00) and a prison sentence fac ing her, she promises to reimburse her thousands of creditors with complete sacrifice of herself and her fortune.
 The seemingly fantastic specu- lations of Mime. Hanau and her crash about two years ago have made one of the most dramatic stories in postwar Partisan life. She was an idol when success swept her way and humble folk rushed to give her their savings. Then she was maligned with equal fervor and in her complicated diff faculties disturbed the peace of men highly placed in business financial and, it is said, political circles.
 In prison she was pathetic fig ure, but in her escape, engineered so that she could personally look after her affairs, she was brilliant She stirred the sense of humor of the French, won their sympathy and now is out to restore confi- dence.
 A Dramatic Hearing
 This sturdy magnetic woman, in her forties, has been able again to captivate over 1000 of her cred itors, receive their cheers and blessings.
 The meeting, described by one of the magistrates as the most col orful in his 30 years experience at the Tribunal de Commerce, was called to decide whether the bank rupt corporation was to be liqui- dated or a concordant granted. In addition to the 1000 and more stockholders present, there were representatives of nearly 4,o00 other stockholders. Throngs of curious Parisians who had follow ed the woman's sensational career had to be held back by police re- serves.
 With only five dissenting votes, representing a mere 75xQSp francs, the creditors voted Spb extend a ccncordant to the firm and to give Mmc. Hanau chance to make good her promise to pay it's debts in full within five years. So far her triumph is astonishing.
 Mmc. Hanau was the wife of an obscure tradesman, accustomed to fussing about the store and look ing after house work, but she first came into national attention dur ing the war by producing a bev- craze for soldiers designed, she said, to give them comfort. Busi- ness was good until the War De partment stopped it on the ground that narcotics were used.
 Promised Big Dividends
 It was after the war that Mme. Hanau became prominent as a company director She evolved investment schemes guaranteed [, pay high dividends, and cstablish- ed the Gazette du France, finan- c!al newspaper which gave glow ing publicity to her undertakings.
 As her prosperity grew, Mime. Hanau stepped out and became d familiar figure by her luxurious living. The crash came after a cam paign conducted by big Paris newspapers. Stockholders became nervous and caused a drive result ing in the arrest of Mime. Hanau and her chief lieutenant Lazare Bloch. There was a great scandal and thousands of persons were re- ported to have been ruined.
 For months Mme. Hanau re- mained in St. Lazare prison while her affairs were being investigated officially. There were long delays due, she charged, to political pres sure being brought by persons in- volved. She also made allegations that the liquidation proceedings were being unfairly handled, and asked for her freedom so she could personally make a report.
 When this was repeatedly re. fused, Mme. Hanau declared a hunger strike. The dramatic ges- ture again brought her prominent ly in the public eye and her ordeal was followed through daily bulle. tins. After three weeks she was removed to hospital, and there