The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-19
THE BELGIUM BANK THIEF.
EUGENE T'KINTS EXTRA ORDINARY FL
NANCIIL OPERA TONS
Trial and Conviction Of the Most Audacious
hank swindier Of the Age -CuipRbie Neg
Ilsence orthe DIrectors-iB Years In Prison

IIsence orthe DIrectors-I5 Years In Prison
Bon he London Tm,'
Brought to trial on the 4th OF November
last Eugene T 'Kint dc ROodenhoke has. after
a month Of hearing. been found guilty o. l49
distinct acts Of theft and sentenced to fifteen
years solitary confinement His career makes
him stand out even among the many authors OF
gigantic frauds who have Riven something like
ndistinctivo character TO the criminal tendon
About twenty years ngo he went into the Bank
Of Belgium rs supernumerary clerk. tradu-
ally he rose until he became The head OF the
department which is charged with tho manage
ment Of the securities committed To the BANK.
Although he had no private fortune. he was
soon ono Of tho largest and most intrepid rpec-
ulators on the Boursc. lie employed no fewer
operntions i'm brussels and Paris Within five
years one Of those gentlemen bought for him
securities costing 4G2 1913 francs and sold
others 80 the value OF 4Gl 32s,7lG francs An
other bought for him TO the extent OF lOI153GOl
francs and sold 10 the amount of lOf.29I972
frames. Tho commission OF one Of the agents
came 10 about 81 .5uO. These transactions did
credit to the audarity " bank clerk with n sal
AIRY ol clGS "A year. But his success was not
Ho was in truth the most unlucky OF specu-
lators. for ne lost from first to last about half a
million sterling on tn" lcursc So far his mis-
haps can be traced; hut he must .,avo allowed Il
great deal more OF the banks money 10 slip
into the hands Of more fortunate gamblers than
himself. He was rich man. nevertheless. un-
iii the coming OF the evil day when he had to
take ticket to- London. only 10 run into the
tolls Of the law at Queenstown. IN 1910 he esti-
mated his fortune ~ 1000 and his yearly in
come at $4,000. Even after his career had boon
rudcly cut short, and when he was passing
through Liverpool on the way to the haven 81
the United states he was able to ask. and to get.
nearly five thousand pounds worth OF clnnge
In dollars for Bank OF Belgium notes, Thint
Ii clearly man OF genius in his own way.
But the most cXtraord mary part Of his story
touches the manner in which he got the money:
His method was masterpiece of simplicity and
nudacity. Ii was his business To Keep account
OF all the securities deposited in the bank. He
had access to them only through the secretary.
room in which they were placed. and never nj
lowed II To go out OF his possession. Eyery
morning, at 10, r. kint sent messenger To- him
with list Of the coupons which would be
needed during the day. and that official was al
lowed to take such documents as he pleased.
Such was the sccretary's trust in TKint that
he did not think OF comparing the papers taken
out with the list given IN the daily memoran,
documents which was returned each night WAS
exactly the same "a thnt which had been de-
livered In the morning. He did not take the
trouble even 20 count them. In the interval
some Of the securities were stolen. and the theft
carefully concealed
Such u practice could not continue for year
after year without raising suspicious out OF
doors. T'kints specula,ions on the Boursc
could not be hidden; his manifest wealth must
have been n subject ~ keen curiosity; and at
last. IN September. 1875, he seemed 10 he caught
In the uct of fragrant robbery 4 Belgian Son
ator named Blsschofshcim. who had placed tn,
vouchers for 1855 preference shares IN the Gus
tody OF the bank, had reason TO believe that
they had been sold. anu, in order % see whether
his suspicious were well founded. he gave no
tce that he should require them 10 be delivered
TO him ON a particular day They were placed
in his hands at the appointed time: but on eN-
aiming the numbers he found that they wert
the very share which T'kint had disposed OF
in two lots. The thief had. however, bought
them back in time To place them in the hands o
the Ownor. and II was aiterwHrd discovered that
70 get the money requisite for the redemption
he had stolen the vouchers Of 400 shares IN The
Grand Luxembourg hallway.
When taxed with the sale Of VI. Bsschofs
heims property, lac cooly replied that he had
COnfound"d that gentleman's shares with hi.
own, and the excuse was compacently accepted
by NJ. foriamps. the manager ol the bank. In
decd. 1t would have been impossible for him t.
have carried on his frauds unless he had beer
Official. much harsier name was given l.
the managers conduct 10y the Publ,
frosecaler; feer Fortamps stood in III
the contemplation. although he has rereiv
oil a much ghter sentence. Tn n. how
ever. came what might nave seemed "A more
formidable danger. for NJ. Wand win. one o
the directors. was appointed 10 examine all th'
securities. But / KNIT was warned II the dan
ger IN ample time: he was warned 10y Foriamps
tue manager, AMI strange 10 say, by VI. Van
deyn himself. So very clover a person ha,
scrutiny by staying at the bank ior severa
evenings after the ether clerks had gone home
and fnbricgtinE schedules to take the place %
forgery at tle very time when NJ. Nandeyin wa,
le,surgy pro'erdng with the scrutiny. Nay
50 bold had he become" that he stole securlticl
in u" midst of the iuyestiE cation.
Missed by igrS"d pnper. aud plausible eN
thnt All IKE securities were IN proper order viii
Tho eNcrtt on III flv. and even In tho case a.
theso hn suggested, thni lie ,lo.uinapi- l,.l rye.
irreruiarifV rufh,r tLnn fraud Still st uisia,
fingered about the name II the clever specu
lntnr I'rly runlnr- wore -rrenJ M rnunh ftrus
eels. nf,i thry wore, nlnie ,iarkrr hy th,, dls."y
ery of W. Nrvt tn. Belgium Secretary II Io..4
lion M Paris mai tho numbers of some cour0n
which he took oui Of the bank wrre dlif,'ren
from those IN tho serurItlsn which he hn,
ulurel In IFS kortiuc Biit 4 I'M ,yns ehle H.
no uounrf ~ h.af DOWN ftn rvil,ne. oy,n' 4,
limit fnci by the r"wrr NJ III he lad gained h
Tho bank he Mad virtun.Iy di.ulncci The man
nger All tho clerks assumed that he was thoi
mnstor nud th. agrifs lie rLGnge came Ia hin
Tor order. rathnr thnn 10 mo nominal hrs'
nm enormous credit without getting any uu
monty rom me dir' tori. ana mus. OF cours'
TX ,r'in nv f'ir, NM i III "a an a,i
Of Tho eirront aorounis
Butat ihst came tie shadow Of ruin i'm the shap