The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-07-10
Police Knew, Public Didn't
srAvIsky,:s ;srRANeE TALE
Crime Career Began as Boy

/ lcIlGGu dL MdIlylC.EtO6 0IlQ Ul8ICIlEl
them both to Jail despite their guests
who included senators, deputies, am.
bassadors and other notables.
Needed No sympathy
There IS no use lavishing sympathy
on Stavisky for he seems to have beer
quite equal to the situation. But Ar.
lette was then, and still Is, q very
pathetic figure. In the dismal prison
Of Saint-Lazare she was on the point
of giving birth to Stavisky's first
child. Finally she was transferred tc
city hospital and there, after the
intervention Of great political lead
er who had been her fathers friend
Arlette was recognized as being the
dupe. not the accomplish. Of Cacha
Stavisxy. So they set her free.
But did she learn her lesson? She
did not. And If she Is today, in her
prison cell, q Inundated. disillusion-
ed, despairing mother of the adven-
turers children, accused of her hus-
bands sins, scorned. shamcd and
dragged in the mud of publicity, 1t is
because she was loyal to that bright
eyed, silver tongued visionary, Cacha
Stavisky, who might have been as
great as his ambitions, if he had play
ed society's rules.
Is Months In Prison
AS to Stavisky himself, he remained
in the Sante prison exactly sixteen
months. His lawyers, Maitres Hesse
and Gaulier, were able to procure for
him no less than ten postponements
of his trial during that time, and fin
ally to get him released on bail. Rea-
son given: his health was failing.
Thereafter Stavisky's trial was
postponed nine times more. and it
never came up for a hearing during
his life time. That, as will be shown
later, was curious business.
It was the hour during which Sta
visky was released from the Sante on
bail that the great TRANSPORTATION
took place. Once outside, he crossed
the Rue de la Sante to little bistrot
or poor mans cafe where, habitually,
released inmates of the prison first
come to meet their waiting friends
and get drink. There he telephoned
for a private automobile. He shook
hands with the proprietor. He bought
round Of drinks for all the guests
there. Then he left. He was seen
rolling smoothly down the Boulevard
Arago. And he disappeared altogether
from view. Stavisky died then. From
that moment he became q legend.
But one might draw an analogy
between Stavisky and the many head
ed Hydra Of classical myth which,
when one of its heads had been cut
off, grew two more where the one was.
For in the place Of Sacha Stavisky,
crook, no, less than five new person
ages appeared. These distinguished
themselves in France and abroad and
their careers were Of especial inter-
est to the police.
The geatest of these personages was
Serge Alexandra.
But first there is one more little
fact concerning Sacha Stavisky. On
the day he was released Professionally
from prison his aged father committed
suicide In his shame. There is moth
ing in the records to show that his
son followed in his simple funeral
wake or that he wore the sacxcloth
and ashes Of mourning. Sentimental
ity and even filial love do not appear
to have been numbered among the
weaknesses of that clever young man.
Copyright Mcclure Newspaper Syn
dicate)