The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-10
A LADY SWINDLER.

Brittany has often been called the Bootia of France
recent criminal trial ut Rennes goes far to show that the
diapason of intelligence which prevails among the
shippers at the shrine Of ST. Anne of Auay still jushes
the appellaton AT small farm called Carnot Lo
rent, widow named Roperch lived in straitened circum
stances for many years The rent of her farm less
than fl0 year, and the profits may readily he
ceiyed but slender Ten years ago She for the FIRST
time in her life, borrowed sum Of money The amount
would not have been thought large at the Bousc but
among the peasants of Brittany il considerabe-it
lOf (ss ADD This sum she duly paid at maturity,
and her punotuaty spoken OF among her neighbor
At this time she desired become the possessor Of
tain cow and, not having money enough to buy it, she
avaed herself of her good credit to borrow GO francs for
stated period. When this latter became due,
Madame Ropcrch had difficulty in meeting it, She,
however effected loan, but this time at high
Of interest She had got entirely out of her depth
approaching to GA something far beyond her
ordinary resources to provide But she had acquired
fatal facility for borrowing each loan became due she
borrowed at high and often increasing interest further
loan to pay off The process went undiscovered and
unsupported for ten years. the widow Roperch living all
the time in the poor way that she had DONE and
carrying business beyond the cultivation of her very
little rm She paid the ntereston her loans and the prn
cpa when called for exactly that her reputation a
wealthy person spread far and wide She had longer
occasion to ask for money 1t pressed upon her.
When she went to market to sell her eggs and cabbagcs
people to her stall with money bags and enreated
her to accept them Instances cited of farm labores
raising themselves to the condition OF proprietors by the
interest," varying from go to 100 per cent paid
to them for years together by the widow Ropech Viii
lage marriages made and village shops ret up from
the proceeds OF small Investments with the marvellous
widow How she able with such small apparent
means to meet such largo demands subject of
great wondcrment and discussion in the country The
popular opinion that she possessed tthe black cat
who is the devils cousin, and get money with
out stint. But few strong minded people, who
laughed ut supestitoDy said that she must be employ
ed by TO borrow money from the people for
the purpose Of carrying public works in Paris When
interroga to her need of large funds hen only
swer was 'That my secret " but she discouraged the
idea of black cat and also that Of her being govern
ment agent time ut length came when, being sud-
denly called upon TO repay loan of 400 f she had not
the money in despair she from her seat and threw
herself into we'll in her garden. She rescued
and although the noise of this event shook her credit for
moment the ct of her being prosecuted led to the
belief she supported by tho courts of justice and
people went lending to her with as much confidence
At last the catastrophe came. The widow, the
trusted the inallibc widow, became irregular in her
payments. The rustic Insurers, whose covetousness she
had created and fosteed became furious and vindicve
Her field and garden invaded by her creditors with
spades and pckaxes. searching for treasure which they
felt persuaded must be hidden When she arrested,
creditors to the amount of "A 600 sterling forward
and is believed that many more ashamed to acknowl
edge their crcdulity put up with their losses in silence
This extraordinary old lady, who has thus taken rank
with the most accomplished mercantile swinders of Lon
don Paris could neither read write speak French
Her replies the intcrrogatoies of the court
dered from her Breton dialect by interpreter
The trial lasted thirteen days She sentenced to five
years Imprisonment swindlcr.