BANKER'S ADVENTURES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 85, 30 September 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

BANKER'S ADVENTURES.

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. Readers may remember the extraordinary adventure which fell to the lot of a Parisian banker in January, when he was enticed 1 o a villa in the environs of Paris and compelled to sign a receipt for the sum of 41,000 franc, which was owing to him, and other papers as well. The case has now come up for trial at the Seine Assize Court, and the victim, JI. Prosper Pooh, related that on the ilar in (juestion a business man, Boulnois. m-i whom he had advanced money, called .■!! his office and told him of a client, » very honorable person, who wished t<> negotiate a loan, adding that if he iviiuld accompany him to Villeluoiuble, where lie resided, the matter would be settled at once.

They went off to dejeuner at a restaurant, and then they started for Villemoiiibe, where the banker was taken to a rather out-of-the-way cottage. Hardly were they in the hall when another man, Mugnier. an employee of Boulnois, caught hold of the unfortunate banker and threw a rope round his neck to paralyse his movements, while Boulnois, producing i revolver, cried, "Not a word! Not a g; ;|are! You are caught!" And, addressing his accomplice, he added, "We shall takt> him down to the cellar."

The terror of M. Prosper Pock may be readily imagined. Here lie was in a lonely villa, with a rope round his neck, and a revolver pointed at him. Clinging to the banister, he shouted, "Murder!" with all the power of his lungs, but nobody came to the rescue, and a gag was promptly added to his other discomforts. A sharp struggle ensued. The confederates tried to drag him down the staircase, but he resisted for dear life, and the gag having got away, he was able to gasp out: "What do you want of me? If you want to kill me, do so but 1 will not go down to the cellar." This led to pourparlers. Boulnoise declared that M. Poch fould not ,be hurt if in would only do as he was told, and as the unfortunate banker had' no choice but 1,0 consent, he was ordered to hand over, as a preliminary, all the cash that he ha<l about him. Out came his purse, with S3 franes, which Boulnois took, but when the banker hinted timidly that this would leave him nothing for his journey back to Paris, he returned 15 francs.

Poor M. Prosper Pocli was then nada to seat himself at a table, where seven! papers were laid before him. He wan looking over them when the revolver was once more in evidence Boulnois exclaiming:, "Sign or die!" As the lesser of the two evils, the banker preferred to sign the papers. Besides the receipt for the 41,000 francs, he signed several promissory notes, amounting in all to 15.000 francs. Yet, in spite of his compliance, he was detained until night came, and then he was led off to a wood, where he wandered about for hours in the dark.

In answer to questions put to him by the presiding judge, Boulnois asserted that he had been shabbily treated by "the banker, and that he had not enticed him to the cottage with murderous intentions 1 , but simply to be even with hint All that his employee,' Mugnier, would allege in his own. defence was that he had merely obeyed the instructions given him by Boulnois. An attempt had been made to show that the banker lent money at exorbitant interest, several witnesses being called in support of this contention, but the Public Prosecutor, in his address, said that it was a mistake to imagine that anyone who had dealings with a usurer could obtain complete liberation. On the other hand, counsel for Boulnois and Mugnier argued that if the jury would not deliver a verdict of not guilty, their clients might at least get the benefit of the extenuating circumstances, as they were not thieves of blackmailers, but simply victims. The jury did find extenuating circumstances, but all the same Boulnois has been sentenced to five years' detrition, and Mugnier to two years' imprisonment.