Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-16
NO. 81.

smashed a desk and reappeared with
5000 cash! Unfortunately they had
been perceived by gamekeeper, who,
Fastening to Vieux-Berquin for REIN
forcements, returned with the gen.
darmes in time to take the young folks
in the act of dividing the spoils.
Before the tribunal Of Hasenbrouck
the first offence. Even here Abel cov-
cred himself with glory by represent
ing Notte as having tried to dissuade
him to the end. Consequently Notte
got one year to AbePs four; but at
the Loos penitentiary the Young
Cartouche" was such a model prison.
era godly youth, bewildered still at
having yielded to single crank temp
tation-that the recommendation Of
the prison director and petition
signed by the inhabitants of Vieux-
Berquin got him released after six
teen months Of actual confinement.
Like the original "Cartouche" the
versatile seventeenth robber chief Of
the environs of Paris, he seemed to
have the gift of moral disguise-of
absorbing for the time the sentiments
Of those about him. At the hour Of
his release as an INDUCED first Offend
er Abel had 200 undetected crimes al
ready to his credit!
1t was a memorable evening in the
Fauvart house when he came back.
After dinner, in the crypt that blazed
with lights, he made the company
speech:
Friends he said, I'VE know our
value; we esteem each other; but, in
spite Of our skill and courage, we
have acted up till now like children.
Down there reflected much. Our er-
ror was to count too much on our
individual qualities. have worked
200 times, yet in the only operation
that was really fruitful I was taken
stupidity for lack of devoted aid. Now
we must plan minutely. The land is
rich!"
The disciplined band was formed.
Three lieutenants. Theophile Deroe,
his brother Marcel and Auguste Pol
let, took the three departments Of in
dication for work, execution Of plans
and disposition Of spoils. Abel Pollett
was the grand and generous dictator.
They had already grown to sixty
members with headquarters in doz-
en- towns, when Abel began to suspect
peculiar secret crookedness around
him. Every now and then some bril-
liant robbery came of, and he, as
chief, knew nothing of It.. On the
other hand, the band began 20 ask It
self II their beloved leader could be
playing double.
Abel had next door neighbor, a
quiet Belgian, recently moved In. One
twilight evening he saw distinguish
ed stranger In silk hat and furlined
overcoat enter. Out Of professional
curiosity Abel had drilled holes in the
partition walls and could overhear
conversations. Now, to his astonish-
ment he heard his name mentioned.
YES" the distinguished stranger
vas saying, this young Pollet seems
both adroit and intelligent-not to
speak Of his band, whose numbers and
mutual fidelity would be Of immense
use to u.s. The time has come to
speak to him. Put him in relation
with Camille Guyard-but do not let
him know too much In detail"
Abel saw light. There were others.
Abers band was still faithful. But.
he burned with curiosity and ardor.
That very evening he went to the Bel
gtan, whose revelations at once NOR
al III - A. L.
bition.
while you and your companions
risk your liberty every day for mod
crate rewards" the Belgian said,
there are, across the border men of
energy and information whose opera
tions, methods and tools even make
yours look like thirty centimes."
The mere fact that the mysterious
strangers knew about him and his
band-and how much did they know?
won for them the intense respect
Of Abel and his lieutenants, while ev-
en- after they had met and planned
Of them only by vague nicknames,
"the big Emile" Sans Souci," "the
Parrot" "the Jimmy" ''the Skeleton
Key" "Win-and-Lose'' and Little
Alphonse." Only after the wholesale
arrests, when confronted with them
on the frontier, did Abel and his COM
panions learn names probably des-
tined to even greater celebrity than
their own when all these mysteries
are nravelled-Alphonse and Gus
tav Verbecke, Jerome Decocker, Hen
ry Dekimpe and Virginie Bucquoy,
the latter girl who. dressed and lived
like q man.
Now began a golden period for
Abels band. Content to obey blindly,
they found themselves sent here and
there by rail and automobile, without
knowing any too we'll with what par
ticular experts they were working"
but conscious Of new and improved
methods. Abel was still the beloved
master; but in the shadow, silent,
morbid, concentrated, moved the omi-
nous figure Of Henri Fauvart, self
constituted guardian Of the secret Of
the crypt-preventer Of suspected
treachery. At various times COM
rade disappeared. And Henri grimly
polished his stiletto.
Which leads to an incident of cap
ital importance. Outside Caloons-sur-
Lys, on an isolated farm. lived old
Achille Deron, reputed miser. One
night, In bed, he opened his eyes to
black masks.
"old miser. where's your hoard?"
they Missed, but he cried:
"Cowards, bandits! Kill me; you'll
not find a liard!"
A Deroe boy Drained him with
rusty sabre from the wall.
He's done for" observed Abel;
now to work."
AS they walked home troubled, in
the moonlight, the unmistakable tin
kle of a gold piece was heard.
"Ha" exclaimed Abel. looking ter
ribly at Leon Fauvart, Henri's young
er brother, perhaps there's more gold
on you? Traitor, you found the hoard
and would keep 1t? Ho, boys"
Leon begged for mercy. He gave
up the treasure-some $4,000. AS
they cooled down Abel and the De-
roes were perplexed. How punish a
Fauvart boy-why, they were going
to his mother at that moment. Later
Abel, in half-humorous bitterness,
when he had told the ale alone to
Henri Fauvart, the Avenger, added:
"Give us your stiletto."
Let bel" glowered the morbid TEL
low; and as Abel, in his grand way,
agreed that 1t was a first offense,
boys temptation that would be Kept
secret from the band, it looked as
though the incident was closed. the
/ L.