OARING ROBBERY IN PARIS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3826, 23 August 1899, Page 2

OARING ROBBERY IN PARIS.

40,000 FRANCS SECURED BY AN AUDACIOUS RUSE.

An extraordinary robbery has been effected at Paris at the Credit Lyonnais. The perpetrator combined ability with audacity ; his coup was played in a manner so; open -and simple that its very boldness commanded success. k'Jnles Devill©, nephew of the proprietor of a large drapery establishment in the- -Rue— des~- Jeuneu’rs, was given Sies and securities io take to the b Lyonnais and obtain cash for them. At the counter the young man was handed out 40,000 fr (£1600) in new billets de banque. Ho put them in his satchel and walked out of the establishment.

, Hardly had he travelled a hundred yards down the Boulevard des Italicus than he' was accosted-by a man of respectable appearance, who tapped him! on the shoulder and said, a little breathlessly; “You are M. Deville, aro you not? . And you Lave just been paid 40,00 fr at the Credit Lyonnais.” Young Dcvillo admitted that this was correct. . “Then,” continued the busmess-hko stranger, “I must ask you to come back to the bank with me. I find that one of my cashiers has made a mistake and paid you some notes which have not been stamped. It is fortunate I caught you,” ho went on, “it would have becu a case’of discharging the cashier otherwise.” . .

: As-They neared the bank the soi-dis-ant bank official, said to Deville, “Here, come right in, don’t wait outside,” anil leading him up beside one of the desks asked , him for the 40,000 fr. . Deville counted out the notes, and the stranger told him to wait a moment while ho went up to tlia first floor to get other notesin exchange. ! The salle of the Credit Lyonnais yas crowded at the time, and that was the last Deville saw of the stranger. He stood for nve minutes, and then asked one pf the cashiers how much longer they were going to keep him waiting for -a is money. The, cashiers, of course, know nothing of the matter, and then the truth, flashed; upon them. . , ! The Parisian detectjvcs, aided by Mr Moser, ex-chief inspector of Scotland Yard,".are looking for the stranger, who is about sft 9in in height, has fair hair, and is strongly built. ,