Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-29
HENRI ROCHETTE
TO Be TRIED AGAIN
Skyrocket Financier Found Serv-
ing in Ranks of French
Army.
MUCH INTEREST is SHOWN
Had Made Fortune in Forty
Months, When Crash
.. Came in 1908.

PARIS. October 2S.-Thc J. Rufus
Wallingford. of. France. Henri Rochette,
who swindlcd tho people ont Of be-
tween s30.000.ooO and sio.o0oo0o, and
whose operations led TO the murder of
the editor of the Figaro by Mine. Call
laux, wife Of the former Premier. will
be brought to the bar Of justice again
soon. and the case is watched here with
intense interest. The fact that the
skyrocket nnancicr could have been
safe by staying away from France and
was found here in the French army at
the front may have 4 strong effect with
the imprcssionable French people in
saving him from severe treatment.
Political considerations and the alb
sence Of witnesses who have been
modified may cause a postponcIn cnt
of the case, but II is thought an effort
will be made for immediate action on
account OF the long time Rochelle has
escaped punishment.
Rochcttc was only thirty years old
when the great crash came In 1905. He
had made most Of his great fortune In
forty months. His story cannot be apS
preached by anything that ever hap
pened In America. traditional home OF
mad hnnncier!ng.
The boy nnancicr las he once was)
was born IN Melun In lS7s. lie started
life as brush boy in a barber shop.
and then became an employee OF IA
banker. This banker was forced To
take flight after founding a company
called Rio Tcuido. and which. by the
similarity OF name. seemed intended 10
cntrap unsuspecting investors into
4. hn
Rio Tint
ORIGINAL CAPITAL
CONSISTED OF st.oaO
Rochcttc took possession Of the
wreck OF the concern as his first ven
turc. II is said his original capital
consisted of $1,000 he Inherited. This
bankrupt company Was not Il great
moncy-maker. nor was another. the
Caissc dc Mines. But they gave Roch.
cite experience. and when he started
on his own account with his FIRST great
company, the Credit MINER g. Indus
trtel. he leaned into sudden wealth.
The secret II. Rochet;cs methods
/ seems to have been the continuous
floating of the stock Of new com
panies. With the money received lie
paid handsome dividends on the old
companies stock, and thus aroused
public enthusiasm TO remarkable
pitch. Comparatively roor persons IN
vested their whole fortunes In his
schemes.
The banker WAS arrested on March
4923 1905. He was at tho time thirty
years old. but he had founded two
banks, nine other financial undertake
ings and two newspapers. in the
columns OF which shares In his com
panies were doomed and savage at
lacks made on his financial and politi-
cal enemies.
SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS.
But ALLOWED HIS LIBERTY
Rochette was released on $4,000 bail
in May, 1905. In July he was sent
enced to Two years Imprisonment and
relatively small fine. He appealed,
and was permitted to remain al lib
erty and conduct his affairs.
According 10 the Figaro, revelations
which led to the shooting OF It's
editor, CASTOR Calmettc, Rochelle now
took Sl3.6)0,000 more from the public,
In addition to Sli.i00,0 900 In small! saw
ings he had got possession OF before
his arrest.
1t had been arranged that Rochelle
should be placed on trial for the second
time on April 81. 1911, ard the scheme
OF the bankers friends IN high places
was, according to Calmctte. that the
trial should be delayed. so that three
years would have passed since the APP
peal was taken. According to French
law. three years between an appeal
and n new trial outlaws Il case.
The Calmette revelations came after
Rochette had skipped to Mexico. Here
he rendered important services to
President Francisco Madcro, who re-
aiy Cd i'm tipi r11
Madero, however, who was in need
of money. arranged a loan with Il Paris
bank, and one OF the conditions i'm
posed by the French government was
the eXtradition of Rochelle To this
Madero agreed.
MAKES ESCAPE WHEN
POLICE SURROUND HOUSE
The French fnancier received Il
warming from Il friend that he was to
be \arrteted the next day. His house
was surrounded by the police. but
Rochette. after a lively chase over the
roofs, succeeded In making his escape,
and got outside the city concealed in
in old woman's donkey cart.
For a time he wandered in Northern
Mexico and organized conveys of arms
and provisions between the coast and
the interior, from which he made con-
siderable money He attempted to
arrange with one of the insurgcnt
leaders to have his papers found on
the body of u dead soldier and have
this alleged fact published to the
world. intending to reappear in 1914.
when his offense would have been
purgcd by time.
One OF the insurgents decided to be-
tray him, and again Rochelle learned
Of this i'll the nick Of time. He es-
capped in feminine attire and went to
South America. Later he visited Flu
rope and the Orient. 1t Is reported.
At the outbreak of the European
war Rochette returned to France in
disguise and enlisted under tho name
of Georges Bicnaimee. as motor
\ cyclist. He had rendered two years Of
loyal army service when he was recog-
nizcd a few days ago at Granville and
Z fal