STAVISKY SCANDAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21758, 24 March 1934, Page 11

STAVISKY SCANDAL

BETRAYER MANNER OF HIS DEATH PARIS, March 22 The story of how a former accomplice of Stavisky, named Galmot, a deputy and a financier, was alleged to have betrayed the swindler because he passionately loved Madame Stavisky, later paying for his betrayal with his life, was revealed to-day in dossiers handed to the Commission of Inquiry. A former Commissioner of Police, M. Pachot, who arrested Stavisky in 1926, said Galmot told him that Stavisky was giving a farewell party to his gang before fleeing, and warned him to take a strong force of police as the gang was of a desperate character. M. Pachot went to Marly le Roi villa and found the swindler hiding in the bathroom. He was obviously astonished and asked, " How did you find me?" adding vindictively, "Where is Galmot. He must have betrayed me. • I will have the blackguard's skin for this."

M. Pachot adds: " Later I asked Galmot why he had betrayed his leader, and he replied, 'Because I was disgusted at the idea of those criminals getting hold of that woman.' In 1928, a few months after Stavisky was released, Galmot died suddenly in Cayenne. His last words were: "I die poisoned by political enemies." A deputy, M. Henriot, produced a letter alleged to have been written by Stavisky, saying: " Galmot will understand "that it is dangerous to cross my path." Other letters referred to the presence of members of Stavisky's gang at 'Cayenne at the time of Galmot's death. / The newspapers state that this shows that the Stavisky gang was behind M. Prince's murder, and that they were willing to silence any witnesses.