File No. 113

In the Paris evening papers of Tuesday, February 28, 1866, under the

head of _Local Items_, the following announcement appeared:

"A daring robbery, committed against one of our most eminent bankers,

M. Andre Fauvel, caused great excitement this morning throughout the

neighborhood of Rue de Provence.

"The thieves, who were as skilful as they were bold, succeeded in

making an entrance to the bank, in forcing the lock of a safe that has

heretofore been considered impregnable, and in possessing themselves

of the enormous sum of three hundred and fifty thousand francs in

bank-notes.

"The police, immediately informed of the robbery, displayed their

accustomed zeal, and their efforts have been crowned with success.

Already, it is said, P. B., a clerk in the bank, has been arrested,

and there is every reason to hope that his accomplices will be speedily

overtaken by the hand of justice."

For four days this robbery was the town talk of Paris.

Then public attention was absorbed by later and equally interesting

events: an acrobat broke his leg at the circus; an actress made her

debut at a small theatre: and the _item_ of the 28th was soon forgotten.

But for once the newspapers were--perhaps intentionally--wrong, or at

least inaccurate in their information.

The sum of three hundred and fifty thousand francs certainly had been

stolen from M. Andre Fauvel's bank, but not in the manner described.

A clerk had also been arrested on suspicion, but no decisive proof had

been found against him. This robbery of unusual importance remained, if

not inexplicable, at least unexplained.

Dettagli