The Great Paris Scandal.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 229, 19 November 1887, Page 5

The Great Paris Scandal.

The Caffarel-Limonzin case in Paris is a great scandal. Edmund Yates in his account of it says, " Madame Limonzin is a vulgar adventuress, 41 years old, humpbacked, a creature with small piercing eyes. Last year she lived in the Boulevard Eon Marche with a companion who called herself tho Comtcsse ile Boissiere, Barronne de Beauregard,£or Marquis ic de Clemenee&u, and whose real name is Henriette de Boissy, a cocotfe of commercial type. Madame Lim* onzini also has a husband, an adventurer, of a smaller calibre. The latter carried on the business of an influence agency for the benefit of persons desiring employment in the Ministiies, promotions, Government contracts, etc. In reality, Mine. Limonzin and the Comtesse passed their time writing to politicians, notably to Thibaudin and Boulangev. The letter.? contained flattery, threats, caluirnies, offers of service, and propositions of a compromising character, and both Thibaudin and Boulanger finally warned the trio through the police to cease thoii 1 manneu vring. Then Limonzin and the ' 'Comtesse" quarrelled, and the former removed to a gorgeous suite of rooms in the Avenue Wag ram, where she continued her agency, and entered into relations with General Caffarel. an officer who was ovei whelmed with debts, and had no longer any sense of honour or decency. The " Comtesse " denounced her former accomplice to the police. Then followed complaints from various sources, and at length the police proceeded to watch Mme. Limonzin. The detective sent to entrap Mme. Lemonzin was taken by her to the Minister of War and introduced to Caffarel, to whom the detective handed a sum of money, in return for which it was understood he would receive the Cross of the Legion of Honour. This surprising discovery brought matters to a crisis. The Minister of War, in the presence of Rouyier interrogated Caffarel, who confessed. Time was then given him to blow bis brains out, but lie did not have the courage to take advantage of this supreme privilege. He was sent to prison with Mme. Limonzin. The case will be a formidable washing of dirty linen in facts, and the personages involved, and even the son-in-law of President Greyy — M. Daniel Wilson — is involved in many of Mme. Limonzin's tripotages. Madame Ratazzi was arrested on a charge of having been implicated in the affair. Letters from Generals Saussier and Boulanger were found in Limonzin's apparfcraent, bub they were satisfactorily explained. The French Minister of War urged the severe punishment of Caffarel and his accomplices. Madame Cortenil, another agent for the distribution of decorations, had also been arrested. Caffarel is prostrated in prison. He avers innocence in the face of his signature on the forged papers found in Limonzin's house. The connection of Mr. Daniel Wilson with this affair, will, it is thought, compel his father-in-law, Grevy, fco resign the Presidency. The Council-General appointed to try Gen. Caffarel pronounced him guilty of habitual dishonourable conduct, decided to place him on the retired list of the army, and deprived of his Legion of Honour decoration. His pension of 8000 francs for 39 years' service in the army was also reduced to 4900 francs. Boulanger was relieved of his command and arrested on Oct. 13 by order of the Minister of War for reported objectionable language in relation to the affair. He will be under restraint for thirty days. Madame Limonzin had admitted that the charges against Wilson, Grey's son-in-law, as to his connection with the Caffarel matter are false, and were made in the hope the affair would be hushed up. There is quite a flutter among the French Canadians over this affair. ►Several are wearing decorations which, it is openly charged, were purchased from friends of General Boulanger. Further reference is made to the " great scandal " in dispatches of October 18. There was a rumour that Caffarel had been released, and the charges against Wlison (Grevy's son-in-law), grow more numerous. The Radical Journals demand the nomination of a civilian as •Minister of War, and the creation of a Chief of Staff. '• L 6 Petit Journal " demands that) the President immediately intervene in the Wilson case. Le Matin states that Grevy refuses to sign the order dismissing Caffarel from the army. Le Gaulois says judicial inquiry has proved Caffarel not guilty. Boulanger ha 3 received thousands of sympathetic missives from all parts of Trance. Ib is officially announced, according to a Paris dispatch on the afternoon of October 20, that General Caffarel has been removed from his post of Chief of Staff in tho War Office, and that his name has beon struck

from the ai*my list. He will receive a yearly pension ofj 8000 francs. TJie Council I of the Legion of Honor has i^eootnmended that hi 3 name be struck from the list of members of the Legion, and that he be deprived from weaiing any decoration of the order. "Le Paris " attacks M, Wilson, virtually charging him when he was director of the printing office at Digon, with blackmailing financial officials throughout the provinces. The ' French War Office having disposed of the Caffarel matter, he and others impli' cated in the sale of decorations, will be handed over to the Correctional police. Caflarel has been lodged in the Coneiergerie. i