Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05
AP ACHES OF PARIS
Romantic Robber Bands That
Defy the Police.
THEIR MUTUAL HELP
TWO LEADERS FROM PAGES OF
BALZAC AND SUE.
"Casque dor" the Golden Haired,
Now the Popular Heroine
of French Capital.
THEIR MUTUAL HELP


of French Capital.
| Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
PARIS March 2s, 1902.
Paris has a newpopular heroine-the queen
Of a band Of romantic robbers. Casque
dor. the golden-haired is to have her por-
trait, by the painter Albert Dupre, in the
coming salon. At the theater Of the Bout
fes-du-Nord she is rehearsing the leading
role in sensational melodrama written for
her, called "Casque dor; GU, La Bande
des Apaches." In the newspapers two pop
ular feuilletons are exploiting her life his
tory and her fatal loves. For three months
past the local news columns Of the entire
press have been throwing light on the dark
organization of the Band Of the Apaches'
bit by bit. here little. there little. Dur
ing the same time the prefecture OF police
has been its forces beaten in pitched battles
on the open street and it's best detectives
only half successful in their efforts to up
root the band. One of its chiefs. the re-
doubtable Manda, is in prison waiting trial
Tor attempted manslaughter; but there is
every reason to believe he will be able to
get Off for lack of evidence against him.
Meanwhile his faithful CaSque dor is al
lowed to visit him and tell him in the
presence Of guards and reporters. L am an
actress now, on big salary; you will eat
and drink like a king"
An example of the methods Of the band
ls found in the peculiarly neat robbing of
the apartment Of the well-known painter,
Bouchot. Il. Bouchot. returning from
Monte Carlo. engaged baggage cab at the
st. LaZare railway station, to convey him
self and his trunk and valises to his domi-
Gle in the Rue % Juliet AS the cab
passed through the Paris streets NJ. Bou-
chot noticed young man following at a
dog trot ut is some poor devil taking
chances on being employed to carry up the
baggage thought the good-hearted paint
er. 1T would be a shame to disappoint
him. 1t Is a common practice, indeed one
of the little trades of Paris.
Garry up the things" said the benevo-
lent artist, when the cab stood at his door
The truth is he was glad to find some one
to do 1t. The young man made two trips to
NJ. Bouchot's apartments on the second
floor, received two francs in payment and
departed with profuse thanks and compli-
mentS.
The Nest Finder.
Now, this young man was no other than
the famous "Denicheur' or Nest Finder"
Folk able to travel from Monte Carlo with
leather trunks and smart valises must be
worth attention, he argued. So when he
had nothing better on hand he made a prac-
tice of thus following likely victims from
the st. LaZare station. NJ. Bouchot's apart
ment, he observed, was peculiarly we'll sit
uated for an attack; the janitors lodge.
situated almost under the stairway could
be passed without attracting the janitor's
attention. He had seen two rooms of the
apartment, both luXuriously furnished, and
he had taken wax impression of the latch
key. He had found a new nest for the
Apaches.
The next evening six of the band were
drinking in a wine shop just across the
street from the
chot was seen to go out, about 8 pm, they
lost no time in sneaking past the janitors
window and up the two flights of stairs.
The new key unlocked the door. There was
no servant present. so there was no blood
shed. The "Apaches'' found $500 francs
worth Of jewelry, 1900 francs in bank
notes and lot Of portable silverware.
Then, seeing that the painters wardrobe
happened to be peculiarly well furnished
with fine clothing the humorous idea came
to the young robbers to fit themselves out
like real dudes. The clothes fitted. In ex-
change they left their working suits ly-
ing about the bed room.
1t was this that led to the final capture of
the Terror Of la Courtille," the Panther
and the 'Denicheur'' himself, all of whom
are now in prison waiting the trial that will
send them to Cayenne. The unlucky paint
er, when he returned found the old clothes.
In the pockets Of one of the coats he dis
covered a dagger, two american" knuckle
busters, a womanS letter and three pool
tickets good for an absinthe each at a GER
tain wine shop of La Courtile. There is
where we will find the robbers" said the
police. And it was there they found them,
NJ. Bouchot recognizing the young man
who had carried up his luggage. The
"Denicheur," as has been said is a man of
experience, but the Terror was found to
be a youth of eighteen years, and tho
Panther" is but year older.
Interesting Criminals.
If all Paris can interest itself in a banal
house robbery of this kind 1t is because of
the special character of the robbers. In
a word, the "Apaches," having defied the
police and the press Of the capital for
months, still take pride in signing each job
they accomplish in spite of the fact that
two of their leaders and seven of their rank
and file are now under lock and key. Young
men with dime novel ideals still fresh in
their imagina tions, they nevertheless be-
came dangerous because of their mastery
organization and recruiting, the unusual
mutual fidelity some one managed to i'm
press upon them and kind of high spirited
determination that came TO them as re-
suit of their first remarkable series of sue
ceSSeS.
Indeed the recruiting of the "Apaches"
shows that they had a real master mind
among them, whether it be Manda or Luc-
ca, the two ostensible leaders, now in prison,
or some obscure and wiser person still at
large. 1t was the first principle of the band
that no one could be eligible to membership
who was not skilled workman at some
trade. Thus from the first the SApaches
avoided criminal loafers, and, for the most
part, all professional criminals with rec
ords, while at the same time they secured
themselves members of natural energy and
divers special aptitudes. Carpenters. black
smiths, locksmiths, brassworkers, and so
on, all had gone wrong from the moral
point of view, but they nevertheless made a
unique band of robbers.
In the mere matter of the disposition of
plumber the varied trade experiences of the
members became of the greatest service
to the band Valuable metals, like alumni
mum, copper and lead, could be got rid of at
something like its real value by "Apaches"
who had worked in them, bought and sold
them and known all about their commerce
in the days of their innocence. In the same
| way sign painter who became member
and two young men who had worked in the
| furniture business suggested to the band a
| number of ideas in the suburban villa rob-
| bling line. When the villa had been located
| certain members who could play the part
| we'll loafed around it several days, observ-
|. ing They learned all about its absent pro-
| prietors, who only occupied it. of course. in
| the summer months.
| Day of the Meeting.
| On the appointed afternoon-they robbed
these suburban villas in the afternoon