The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-23
MANI WHO ROCKED
FRANCE IS NOW
OBSCURE SOLDIER
From Waiter to Millionaire.
Swindler-Now Fights in
French Ranks.

A dozen years ago-perhaps a lit
tie mOre-a most astounding genius
arrived in Paris.
AS is customary with genius, no one
recognized him. He was permitted
to slip in through the gates unobserv-
ed and alone. as he was later allow
ed to slide out again.
AT the time not even the man him
self realized his genius He had his
hopes, no doubt. and some vague plan
for the future, but of what moment
can be the plans of a poor waiter?
Inc genius was no more.
He had tended the tables at a PRO-
Vincial inn and of the Riviera resorts
for a season or two and then had re-
turned to rusticity-and thrifty
French poverty.
With 81, 200 as Capital
But now great moment had ar
rived in this obscure life. The poor
provincial garcon had inherited 5000
francs. With this he was come to
Paris to achieve renown. He went to
small and nameless hotel and wrote
upon the register his fateful name:
HENRI ROCHETTE, PARIS.
The boniface said something per-
functorily polite as he looked at the
provincial.
me newcomer was of striking ap-
pearance. He was not big or over
shadoWlng man indeed, he was of less
inches and pounds than most.
But ne vas sharp. He was erect
like a young poplar, and as 1.-the. His
frame seemed to be galvanized. His
eyes shOne with a fierce sintentness,
and he had an open-Hpped, hungry
smile. Over this aperture projected
the sharp, well-cut nose, a trif1e too
much like beak
He was not truly a handsome young
man, but he had charm and magnet
ism, and an ingratiating mood and
manner. He gave the final impress
sion of debonair shrewdness.
"A fox, without Doubt thought the
boniface, and showed his new guest
to his room.
1t will not be amiss for the ambi-
tious to study this episode with care.
The humble incident in the humber
hotel was the trif1ing Circumstance from
which in a few years was to come a
sensation in France such as only the
hOlocaustic war could exceed.
The humble waiter was to be
great knight of finance, a high and
terrible adventurer in whose wake
politicians and ministries tottered and
fell. and ,strOng men poured out their
blood from assassinate wounds.
To Fleece Other ProvinciaIs
The unknown waiter with the fox
face took his thousand dollars and
became a promoter. File knew the
thrifty, money-saving French prcv.n-
Gals. Moreover, in his walters Ca
reer he had overheard the plannings
ard plottings Of franclers who fat
tened upon these working, hard
saving poor.
In his mind there was sprouting
the germ of an idea much bigger than
any before his time. He would see
if a man from the provinces did not
understand best how to mulct the pro-
vincials!
The intermediary steps are perhaps
not vital to this recounting. One may
imagine the first stumblings and crawl
ings, before the young giant walked
But walk he did in a very short time.
In two or three years one saw the
name of the provincial waiter every
where. The whole country was in
vesting in his companies. everywhere
the latest deals Of his Franco-Span-
ish Bank and his Credit Miner ct In
dustrial Bank were being discussed
and the discussions were bringing his
institutions the deposits of small mon
ey-holders.
The BourSe was dealing in the
stocks of his innumerable mining and
\ hi
able and shrewd people: were trying
their luck with the lottery bonds of
his Credit Foncier Egyption. He must
be rich past dreams!
The Great Einancier.
Wherever one went in the financial
district one saw the hand of this me-
teOric gen Jus. Occasionally one en-
countered Henri Rochelle himself, i'm
maculate, genial, smiling his culpine
smile and going his profitable way. AT
night one might see him in the great
cafes with this or that favorite. Again
he was to be found in the homes Of
the fashionable and influential.
No one remembered that. he had
been a waiter in the provinces. He
was Henri Rochelle, the greatest A.
nancier. One could afford to forget.
No one knew precisely the wealth
and power this man had accumulated
three or four years. 1t was appal-
ling. How had it been possible? The
fellow was only a boy, too. How
old might he be? His beard helped
make him look little more sedate
and elderly. In truth he was still I'M
der 80.
But no man rises to great eminence
of wealth and power save by a violent
soul. There must be the victims, the
enemies the rivals. Henri Rochelle
had dealt with humanity like SO much
chaff. He had cut business Threats
without remorse and made implaca-
BILE foes without tremor.
Rich and powerful as he was there
were those who were stronger. There
were those, too, who were vindictive
from past wrongs and defeats. And
there were the jealous.
Shaving Off Trial.
Henri Rochelle had taken politi-
clans and ministers into his pay.
Thereby he had won the suspicion
and enmity of others. The storm was
brewing all about him.
In the first month of 1908 it broke.
In March the spectacular promoter
and banker was arrested on charge
of violating the laws concerning