Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-08-01
THE CAPTURE OF BONNOT-
THE FRENCH AUTO BANDIT

V Paris. murder OF Policeman
GARNER; February Is. at Pontotee,
burglary of Maitre Tintant's house:
March 10. attempted theft of an auto.
mobile at Chatou.
March 20. at Montgeron. murder OF
Chauffeur Mathille and theft of M. De
Bouge's automobile. Or the same day.
at Chantilly. murder of Legendre and
,irlnquier. attempted murder of Gull
bert. sack OF the Societe Generale's
branch.
April "a. at Petit Ivry. murder of As
slstant Chief OF Police Jouin and at
tempted murder OF Rrigadier Colmar
April Is. at Cholsy lie Ro1 attempted
murder of Inspector Augene.
Strongly Armed.
10 go back. the band is now
equipped. 1t is conscious of its force.
II has experience. it has money and
1nformers who supply it with the nee
essary facts for coups to be Drought
on. 1T has bank clerks, experts In
iorglhg and changing names and num-
pefs OF share certificates. and a treas
urer who invests its funds.
so we arrive at that amazing ex-
plot, the evil masterpiece of the band
the Austerlitz of the u side~the
terrible battle which was enacted
March 25. 1912, and which.
lis early In the morning at MOntge-
ON. ended two hours later at Chantilly.
~ was a Supplying day.
we men We're assembled on the
PREVIOUS evening. The meeting look
place at a secluded spot on the Mel,n
hish road, where the coup was to take
pace. %urrounded the little
group OF men while their plan was
discussed and engineered to the
smallest details. -
! Wo OF lieutenants had been
lingering for days ON the Avenue de la
N1IdIlu ArDlee fNa o1Itnn,AL;1. ;,.l.-
,ries quarter of Paris. listening Intent
~ Z" gossip of m%echanicians of the va
rIous Paris motor works. Several cars
que to pass next morning along the
MeIun high road were reported to Ron
lot n infinitely described. He. the
Oh the band, had the right of choice.
Capturing a Motor.
The Forty II. P. machine is the ono
we want" he said. ~
lhese few words settled the fate of
'he unfortunate driver of the machine.
Ihe Chantilly bank clerk was also
aooined. Two days before, two mem
pers OF the gang, disguised as news
vendors had made minute inyestipa-
'lons at Chantilly. INC all details con-
cefhlng the local branch of the Socfete
Generate had been duly reported to the
thief. ~ '"e
each mar received personal instruc-
,iohs. The automobile was to be
topped, it's driver shot at. his
ion as we'll. Bonnet would take charge
OF the rest-and his eyes glittered at
,he thought of the forthcoming duel
oelween himself and his gang on the
one hand and the police on the other.
re ana MS men camped that night
uIuer inc trees awaiting the dawn that
WOULD g~alvanize them into action. Hid
ing behind trees, they wait. One. two.
several automobiles pass; all the mem
pers OF the gang ate Bonnet. who
as yet gives no signal.
AZ last. from affair, a rumbling. DOW
etlul motor Is heard-sa pproaching at
high speed.
Her she comes,' says Bonnot
Instantly the bandits, pistols In hand
par the road. The driver slows down.
thlnking some accident has h~apnened
and that help is wanted.
He has hardly brought his machine
TO a standstill before a shot rings out.
lte coilapses. Other shots follow In
wounded, but has presence of mind
enough to throw himself down and
feign death. ~
The engine is still running. Bonnet
is a! the wheel in an instant. His COM
pahlons dash for other seats. But
Look OUT" shouts Bonnet Two heavy
carts have come into sight from a
bend in the road. Their drivers look
aslonished at the sight before them.
Revolvers are leveled at their head.
Draw aside or 1 fire."
Inc road is clear. Bonnet bangs i'm
ms clutch n hen the terrible race
begins. the rush toward murder and
pillage. ~
a telephone call from a newspaper
Drought me the ominous news. tele-
phoned Immediately to n friend of
mine, a high official i'm the prefecture
OF police. He told me of the anguish OF
suspense that was felt at Headquarters
Inc police were powerless. A meet
ing OF chiefs was hastily convened.
Project Lepine. thief of Police Gui,
chard. Assistant chief Jouin, and e v
eral others among the best men on the
ioice. The telephone WAS kept work
ing continuously n telegraph wires
carried the alarm to all the villages
around the capital and to cities in the
provinces.
Assistant Chief Jouin was crazy with
impOtent rage.
III catch those men or I'll lose nv
life in the attempt" 1t was the latter
alternative that was to befall him.
What crime would it be this time?
VINO would be the victims? After over
two hours the answer came to these
questions.
II was the Societe Generate at Chan
tilly. There were two men murdered.
$4,000 stolen.
For me the outstanding feature of
h day is the staggering luck of the
oandits Obviously fortune favors them.
All obstacles fall of their own accord.
The god of evils protect them.
The Chantiily Robbery.
There are six OF them. -Four break
INTO the building to kill and rob. A
fifth, the consumptive Soudy, is on the
pavement with Il carbine at his shoul-
der.
Clear out!"
But where is Bonnet? At the steer
ing whee All the danger centers on
him. isolated in the middle OF the street
the center OF q gathering crowd. He 1t
Is who has the most nerilona nar..a