The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-07-10
Nv FULTON THATCHER GRANT
CHAPTER TWO

It was not until the last day OF
December 1888 that the public ever
heard Of Stavisky. That is, nobody
had heard of him except the police
and few privileged citizens. But a
great many persons, including my
self, had heard lot Of one Serge
Alexandra. Financial circles knew
him. Theatrical circles knew him
Society knew him. The turf, the
gaming tables at Biarritz and Deau-
Vile. and a great many attractive
women, more especially those with \
bank roll. knew him very we'll indeed.
There was report dated 1929 in
the files of the Paris magistrature.
however, that would have told any
interested persons that the swindler.
forger and jailbird. Sacha Stavisky,
and the dapper Observation-Disclosures.
Serge Alexandra, were one and the
same person. Strangely no one SEEM
ed interested. least of all the police.
The way Sacha Stavisky got to be
Serge Alexandra is curious tale.
Even though the press has covered 1t
fairly we'll it seems worth while to
mention the high-spots of that me-
tamorphosis as briefly as possible.
Our delinquent hero was born in
Sodbadka, Russia, in 1886 under the
name of Stavisxy. His father brought
him to Paris in 1900 and set himself
up as practicing dentist. The boy
went to French lycee and grew up
in the decent but moderate circum-
stances Of a little bourgeois. At an
early age. however. he exhibited two
strong sets of tendencies: One those
of Don Juan: the other those of a
juvenile crook. His affairs with the
Jeunes files of his acquaintance would
have landed him in a reform school
in America or in any Anglo-Saxon
community and even in France. where
wild oats are tolerated and personal
morals are nobody's particular bust
ness. he was thought to have "exag-
gerated"
But in 1916 he combined his lovers
ardor with his pecuniary talents. The
victim was a widow who fell for lie
beau Cachas" adolescent charms to
such an extent that she entrusted him
with her heart and bank account. He
was to make fortune for both and
they were to marry and live happily
ever after. The denouement of this
idyll took place in the police court
where young Stavisky was charged
with abuse Of confidence. He was
condemned and sentenced, but given
the advantage of a sursis for first
offence.
Laid Low Three Years
The records indicate that young
Staxisky lay low for three years ThAl,
III 1919, he went into the cabaret
business. Another sweetheart with
ready cash was his silent partner (the
British have another name for it,.
The cabaret, which was called Cadet
Rouselle," turned out to be a flop,
but by the indicate use Of rubber
checks StaviSky seems to have STAYED
off calamity for some time. Calamity
came eventually. however, and left its
record on the police blotter.
In 1925 our hero tried a new one.
He was given a check for 600 francs.
He cleverly added a 80 at the left
and % at the right and cashed it
for $4,000 francs, raising paper worth
$3.50 to the cash value of $4,000. The
person who had issued the check did
not consider this very good joke. He
took the check to the police. The
police took Stavisky to Jail. And
Stavisky would have taken long va
cation had not the raised check nys-
teriously disappeared from the judges
dossier just before the trial. Being
thus deprived of material evidence the
judge could only dismiss the case. ct
is worth noting that evidence against
Stavisky has a way Of disappearing
all through his career and even after
his DEATH.
In the following year Stavisky went
on to bigger things, socially and fl
nancially. He met a pretty young
girl named Arlette Simon who seems
to have been able to hold his affec-
tons better than the rest. He filled
her ears with tales Of the great fl
nancial empire he was going to build
and it would appear that she believed
in him completely. Unfortunately for
her, when the police learned that
Stavisky had flecced some exchange
brokers to the tune Of eight million
francs rubber checks we're his simple
means) they took little Arlette off to
jail with the same enthusiasm they
had shown in locking up her friend
Sacha.
Even then Stavisky and his mistress
might have escaped the law had not
a frightened, jealous partner In their
invisible empire betrayed him. AS it
was the police broke IN on a dinner
party in lovely villa Stavisky had