THE ROCHETTE COMMISSION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9766, 3 April 1914, Page 5

THE ROCHETTE COMMISSION.

ißi Elictbic Tbuqbafh— Comma.) (Pa Pun AraomnoH.) «, L « t „ PARI S. April I Tbe Rochettc Commission's finding mildly censures M. Monis and M. Caillaux, exonerates them from corruption, but finds them guilty of deplorable use of influence. The evidence revealed that the Minister for Finance was exercising unjustifiable influence on the Government. The Commission was unable to understand M. Barthou's right to regard the Fabre document as personal property, or how the transcription of the document came into M. Calmotte's possession. RISE OF A MILLIONAIRE STORY OF ROCHETTE CASE. > The story of the Rochette case is interesting. Rochette was arrested on March 23. 1908, on the charge of having embezzled something like £6,000,000 through company promoting. On July 18, 1910, he was convicted at Paris, and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment. On his appeal, the sentence was quashed, owing to a flaw of procedure, and a new trial was ordered at Rouen. On July 26,1912, Rochette was convicted again, and sentenced this time to two years' imprisonment. He lodged a final appeal before the Supreme Court of Cassation. He had previously been let out on bail, after 47 days' preventive imprisonment, giving his own security in £6OOO. Subsequently he vanished, giving up his £BOOO security. Rochette's career is probably the most amazing in the history of swindling. About 15 years ago he was an errand boy in a tiny restaurant at Melun, the railway station for the artiste' village of Barbizoti. Ten years , later Rochette was a Parisian millionaire. He was running, not errands, but half-a-dozen financial companies for the working of electric light patents, Spanish mines, and Paria banks, but designed chiefly, and successfully designed to fill Rochette's pockets. On a complaint lodged by a fleeced shareholder, Rochette was arrested. He had not been arrested many months before his case was transformed into a political one, and certain politicians were accused by others of having trumped uptheohtrges against him. A Parliamentary Commission resulted, over which M. Jaures presided, and before which men like M. Clemenceau and M. Lepine wore compelled to give evidence. The commission having died a natural death, Rochette was tried and re-tried, and, as said before, twice convicted. He knew all tho tricks of the law, and now, when he was finally to have been brought to book, he successfully got away. He is a character (says a Paris correspondent) worth studying." In private life he is a model husband and a model father. He has robbed the public, not, as the public usually behoves the purpose of swindlers to bo, to live a gay life at Montmartre, buj; to keep his wifo and manychildren in the best luxury to tho end of their days, and presumably to leave his sons and daughters a fortune after him.