The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-14
|ORGOT HIS NAME GIVEN WHEN THIEF low French Bank Clerk Double Crossed Himself JADE A GREAT HOWL oft Funds With Lawyer and Took Receipt But Later He Forgot
 the Name he Had
 Given Y
JADE A GREAT HOWL

rom the New York Telegraph
 Ravenot, collector in the same bank for
 years, was model employe. Never
 hd he given occasion for the slightest
 Fiticism and never had an error been
 scovered in his accounts. He lived
 one, carefully avoided new acquaint-
 bees. was temperate in all his tastes
 Id seemed happy and contented. When.
 ordnance, some one would say to him,
 It must be tempting to handle such
 rge sums of money" he would merely
 Fply:
 ''Why? Money that does not belong to
 e is not money"
 'So, when he did not appear at the
 hnk at the usual hour one day the idea
 any wrongdolng on his part never
 htered the minds of those who knew
 i'm. Even the hypothesis of a crime
 semed impossible. The police easily
 raced every movement of the evening
 efore. He had cashed his last checks
 gar the Montrauge gate. His receipts
 mounted to nearly 100000 francs. After hat no signs of him could be found.
 earch was made in every direction, but +ithout success Foul play was feared. l 8 a mere matter of form telegrams fere sent out to all the frontier stations. but in the opinion of the bank directors here was not the slightest doubt of the |hct that thieves had robbed him and brown him into the Seine
 One man alone shrugged his shoulders ALA. hat man was Ravenot himself. At the cry moment when the expert detectives bst trace of him he was making his way D the Seine over outlying boulevards.
 Under an arch of the bridge he changed lis uniform for a suit of civilians ilothes which he had hidden there the |vening before, put the 100000 francs into ! is pockets, made a bundle of his dis Iarded outfit, weighed it with a stone nd tossed it into the river. He then re- | Rurned to the city and slept peacefully Ill night at a hotel. Thus, in the space If few hours, he had become trans |ormed into a thief emeritus. By taking advantage of his start in lime he could easily have boarded train Ind got out of the country, but he was
 
 |paee would protect him from the po- ice. He certainly would be caught, and his fact decided him as to his future lourse.
 He put the stolen money into a large Rnevlope, sealed it with five seals and |epaired' to a notary's office
 "Monsieur," he said, addressing the lawyer permit me to state my business. In this envelope are some funds which I wish to put in a safe place. as I am Ibout to start on a long journey and do Iothing to prevent my leaving 1t in your keeping, Is there?"
 '.Nothing at all. I will give you a re- ,eipt for it''
 A receipt Ravenot had not thought of hat Where could he put a receipt? To whom could he entrust it? If he kept it ,n his person he would lose all the bene- its of his act. He hesitated in the face If this unforeseen obstacle, then replied:
 'I am quite alone in the world and the rip I am about to take is very hazard ,us. A receipt might be lost or de- ;troyed. Because of the uncertainty of hings couldn't you keep the paper In ,our possession? Then, when I return it would merely be necessary for me to mention my name either to you or to your successor. You can make note ,n the envelope that it can be reclaimed under such condition. If there is any risk you can easly see that I alone run t."
 Very well. Your name. please"
 "Henri Duverger." replied Ravenot 
 When once more in the street he drew long sigh of relief. The first part of his programme had been successfully car lied out. No matter if he was taken 1arm's way He had coolly reasoned in his way: "At the end of my term of can claim my deposit. No ,ne will dispute the ownership with me. so after a few uncomfortable years I shall be rich. That will be much better han drugging all the rest of my life. [ shall go to the country to live as M. Duverger pass my time in doing good md go down to peaceful old age un- troubled by remorse''
 He waited another 24 hours, then gave himself up to the authorities. Another n his place might have invented story. He preferred telling the truth. for what was the use of losing any time? He did not tell what disposal he had made of the funds He merely said:
 1T don't know where the money Is. dropped asleep on a bench. and I was robbed in my turn"
 Because of his hitherto irreproachable reputation he was given only five years sentence. This he received without a nuiver of the evelids. He was now ?S years old At 40 he would be free and