Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

stalls that line the left bank Of the
Seine, and undoubtedly had done his
shopping In the same way he got his
money. The books all dealt with the
exploits Of Cartouche. Mandrin anti
other famous French criminals.
DUBOIS looked down on his pris
oner as he examined his library
There's no use of your wriggling
so hard. little worm he said. you're
caught
Then he went to the door to open
II and carry Tete dor out. But at
that moment Tete dor went out of
the window For his "wriggling,
which Dubois said would do him no
good, consisted of chatting his rope
tied feet against the rough cement
jog in the wall until the rope was
worn through.
So astounded was Dubois to see tho
youngster dive head first through the
window without bothering to open 1t
that for some moments he remained
gaping. When he finally dashed To
the broken window he saw little bu'
night. The window was on the ground
floor Tete dor knew every inch of
his courtyard, and was even then scut
Ting down dark streets, his hand
cuffed hands exposing him TO capture
every moment.
But he managed to reach a fence
ne knew, receiver OF stolen goods.
who sawed off the steel links. For a
week Tete dor remained at liberty.
But the same youngster who pre-
ferred his own liberty to Tete doris
again betrayed him. This time Dubois
landed him in a cell.
He was tried in court and found
guilty. The judge, knowing how a
year seems an interminable period To
youth, tried to impress the gravity OF
the sentence he was passing
Il shall have you confined for a
year. he began.
The green-eyed little prisoner spoke
up with a sneer.
Huh, a year is only II months,
Then his little ratlike eyes darted
about the room. He had been using
them to some purpose for the past
half hour. But he added. even T.
months is too long
The prisoners dock had little bal
ustrade about It. Springing to II be
fore the attendant could seize him
Tete dor launched off from It as Fl
trapeze performer from a springboard
and leaped to the judges desk. from
there to the floor. tore open the door
and was out of 1t inches In front OF
in their faces. The court was in a
wild uproar. The little rascal was flee
ing down the corridors and steps.
lodging diZzily i'm and out of rooms.
One of them was full of papers and
documents piled everywhere. On
desk stood q kerosene reading lamp
Snatching this up. Tete dor shrieked,
Stand out of the way or I'll throw
it,"
Fr~t.- Il H.. 1t, Al.
lamp crashed to a pile of papers, the
kerosene spilled. the flames caught.
1t was amid this scene OF men trying
to stamp out fire and at the same
time capture him that Tete dor made
his Involuntary bow from the hitherto
ample stage he had held.
+ # 4
THE year of confinement was also
year of instruction to Tete dor.
He picked up knowledge of crime as
fast as he had learned circus tricks.
He became q promising disciple OF
the heroes he loved to read, the Car
touches of today At the end Of his
year of confinement he was sent to a
reformatory.
1t did not take him one week before
he made his first leap for freedom. 1t
was his last. He had measured his
one story below the window from
which he leaped. But he was out Of
practice and his foot missed it's mark
by a quarter inch-enough to break
his neck. Which was probably what
the government would have done for
him eventually with its specially con-
structed machine for capital punish
ment in France.
Tete dor was only IL years old. In
his precocity he was. of course, Tete
dor. But in his daring, dash and
imagination he was a true Frenchman
of the criminal classes. That Is why
in any account of the French police
the story Is usually one principally
concerning the exploits of the Grim
inal. who sets the pace, plays the tune
and leads the dance for the police to
follow.
But in Paris police have to deal
with fellow countrymen of kindred
endowments. So that if the French
criminal sets the tune sooner or later
he has to pay the fiddler. And the
whole makes French police records a
rich and fascinating library.