January 16, 2012
VIENNA (AFP) - Homeless Austrian man Hermann Schleichert had 80 cents (one dollar) and an empty packet of cigarettes in his pocket on a cold Boxing Day evening when he found 7,000 euros on the pavement.
But instead of seeing the cash as a late Christmas present, the 48-year-old, who was staying in a Vienna homeless shelter and hostel for recovering alcoholics, took his find to the police, he told the Kurier daily on Sunday.
"I picked up the envelope and saw there was a bundle of cash inside. All 500-euro notes!," he said. "Not even for a second did I think about keeping the money. That would have been theft."
The real owner of the money later reported his loss to police and got his cash back -- but is yet to thank Schleichert, Kurier added.
