Three minutes: all that
it took to expose the IRA killer
•
By EDGAR LUSTGARTEN
"No"
"HAVE you ever made any attempt to
find MacMahon?”---
"So far as you know, have any of the other prisoners "No." "Isug- ever seen MacMahon?" gest that MacMahon has no existence?"
-"Yos, he has."
With a barely perceptible shrug of scepticisir, Crown counsel closed his cross-examination and sat down. The witness, supposing his ordeal at an end, prepared to leave the box and resume his place inside the dock. He was checked, however, by a restraining gesture from the Bench.
"I would like to ask you one or two questions, Barnes." The Irish labourer, who was on trial for his life, and the English judge, who was en- gaged in trying him, came now into immediate contact, face to face...
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Thirty-two-old Peter Barnes was an active member of the RA. In 1939 the rising Ger- mentory and the increasing Ielihood of general bustlities convinced the IRA commanders that the time was ripe for a serion of stealthy blows at the homeland of their enemy
England.
The worst WAN fart al Coventry on August 25. Just ven days before Hier started his world war.
The explosion of a bomb in the carrier of a bicycle, left bý the kern in crowded Branfigate ona maricel rhay, resulted in the death of dive, the mutilation er the wounding of some afty Buzze, und the subsequent appearance of Petge Iarnes nad albers before Mr Justice Single
on at Birmingham Assizça.
Singleton was a hariserne mani with * striking peranality. jeurjody compounded of sunvity
and steel, Had he been an actor, managements would constantly him as a successful have cast
and fashionable advocate-which
୬
MR JUSTICE SINGLETON -Gift for clear analysiz.
accurately describes John Single- The polished ton at the Bar. Groce cit manner irresistibly tracter; the relentlessness of purpose inevitably impressed.
Many barristers undergo a metamorphosis same for the belter, some distinelly for the worse upon being transplanted the Bench. Nut 1X) with characteristics his Singleton; wern unchanged, merely adapted. He was a, strong judge (at times a stubborn one). as he could be severe.
re-
but always urbane even when-
Ister
merits
purely legal
made him a Lord imately Justice of Appeal, and his gift
for clear analysis of computat- rd fact: is familiar to every
ining-up in the Ruxton case.
student who has read his mum-
"I would thke to ask you one or two questions, Barnes,"
The JUDGES and then
the Thursday he had travelled from London to Coventry again, and again had visited a house in Clara-strect; that on this Recond occasion he took with kim a suitcase; that on the Fri- day night, Ave hours after the explusion, pollee searching Barnes's UTIL in Westbourne- terrace discovered packets of potassium chlorate, and, search- ing Barnes himself, found in his jacket pocket an "unposted letter.
This scrawled document, signed with the name of "Dixon" bot-3 Barnes dit not deny--- written in his hand, was aplly Crown counsel The termed by Letter of Prophecy.
"I go from one place to the other and brings the Sit suid. "I um alter coming back from Coventry tonight so by the time you get this the Paper should have some news." It was dated 24/8/30-ihe day Coventry explosion.
before
the
In the witness box, Barnes tendered explanations,
'NORMAN'
A casual acquainttines called
or
six hundred
Ja it ve yards?"
"Somewhere about thal," "When you went from Coventry Station to Clara- atreet, how did you go?"
"I walked."
hour!"
an
"How far is that?" "It took me about half McMahon had suggested there were better prospects of work
halim "You carried the sultease all at Coventry and had told to apk for "Norman" at The That way round," mile! the Clara-street skiress. No one judge deliberatively, "and then on his Arst visit seemed to
brought it back to Coventry know of Netenem, but, at Mec- Stallen and then from Coventry Mahon's prompting, he filed to London?" second time, with Jur rame "Yer" abortive autcome as before,
a
The bitervention which these words prehaged was perfectly proper both in substance and in form. It is a matter of preord, not of criticism, that its effect chlorate had been sold to him was absolutely deadly....
CARRIER
Barnes's jub It is evident คย retrespect was to carry explosives from secret central depots to 1.R.A. men in other trén. He losed in West- bourne-terrace and spent nis spare time with his Irish fanest Warwick-avenue. Ostensibly he was looking for a job.
The rat Coventry explosion happened on a Friday.
The packets of potassium
as shampoo powiters by a girl n Oxford-street. The letter was for Moe- one he had copied Malem, whom he had met by eppointment Hfter returning from Coventry LI Thursday, and who had asked han to de
ver the letter personally Dublin.
"Rather than pack it up in the evening to uke 1 Cum Westbourne-terrace to Warwick avenes
1
in
As for the suitcase which he carried on that Thursday, it had contained merely 'his hot
and overcoat and pyjamas fur he had always intended spend- ing Thursday night, Hol at
but Weltbourne-ferrace, Warwick-avenue.
probe.
It was these two last state- The Crown could prove that ments in particular which Mr
Justice Singleton
to began on the previous Monday Barnes had travelled from London to Coventry, and had visited a "When you went from West- to Warwick- Clara-street where, bourne-terrace house in
the bomb was avenue, how did you gu?" beyond doubt,
"By bus." afterwards assembled; that on
1
AN EAR PROBES MILKY
ATHY does the Milky Way spiral out in space?
WH
. What holds the stars in it together? Scientists under Sir Bernard Lovell at Jodrell Bank are trying to find the answer.
In the past, several thergies. have been put forward to ex-
listen on a cmtaln wave-length plain why the "bazy galaxy"-21 centimetres-it is possible inade up of 180,000 million ar to locate, in some patches of the more stars, hangs together.
The Jodrell Bank team hopes, nulse of slightly
strength.
Kreater
SECRETS
Jodrell Bank seeks the answer
to riddle of a galaxy
precision that Some theories mugs, ashtrays, fruit bowls, fir settle the argument. They The wavelength is known as will gain strong support while spoons, toast-racks and think magnetism may be respons the Hydrogen Line, because the others are Annily debunked-in sible. Buttheys81.need clear signal come from out of the best-scientific tradition... plates these proof.
mert hydrogen sing.
arc tho
latest articles for the home
To get it, they are training It is hoped that analysk of THE STEEL STORY made out of stainless steol. their 2,000-ton cicerable radio- the signals from these parts of
I found them in Londen's fral GIANT carving knife exhibition to tell the stainless
telescope on different parts of the sky vill reveal what is the sky night and day.
happening out there,
just as
'YOU KNEW"
"i was handy to take what Wanted with me," Barnes replied uncomfortably.
"It would have been as
Barnes's job-it is evident on retrospect
--was to
carry explosives from secret
central depots to IRA men
in the
areas
selected
..for
explosions
that His lordship allowed curious gloss to pass. He saw a point arising here which was more important.
"McMahon hadn't been Coventry, had he?"
"I don't now."
10
"But you were friendly with him. I ho was going to Coven- try that day, was there any reason why you shouldn't go Logother?"
"No."
"He told you to go, you say, and he would meet you when you came back?"
Coventry?"
"So you knew he was not at
"Yes, so far as my knowledge went."
The judge relaxed
and leaned back,
slightly,
"And, according to you, that letter, saying was McMahon's
I am after coming back tran Coventry tonight" "
The whole episode, from start
to finish, did not last three handy, perhaps, to take your hat minutes. But during those three on your head... What the minutes there fell on Peter did you get back to London Barnes the shadow of the sent- from Coventry that Thursday" fold on which he was to die.
"About ten."
"What was your arrangement
as to meeting MacMahon?"
"He told me that he would meet me at Tuston Station when the train came in."
"What tire?" Inquired the judge,
"He must have known time the train would come for he was there."
the
in,
WAY
The World of Science
It is also inspiring
British
They are using it as a huge, analysis of light from a star 14 with the namo of steel story at the Mayfairin artists and craftsmen to, break receptive "ear whh which to through an instrument called every Prosident of the Roums, Marble Arch. It is on fresh ground. To make the most
of miles away.
made.
detcet radies ságnals Riven out spectroscope will revest the by stars and gas eluttes millions elements from which the star is United States engraved on it, a toapot you can put When yoLE swing a rudin- Sir Bernard Lovell's group your hand in to clean, wall telescope neTDES the sky you hopes to record and measure hear a constant "ush" of back- the presence of a mugnette feld tiles in 10 patterns and ground nuise. But when you in the Milky Way with such shiny or satin finish, bear
you
must
of alainless steel design for it. Attractive new ye-opener.
New processes developed nt shapes are now being produced Shefeld have today made this with a hand-beaten finish. a commonplace. It is now
ce-precious "luxury" material cheap as chrome-plate.
**Schafkopf! Abschaulichor dummköpf! Faulpeix!. . Und get your. 'air cut,”
London Kaprano Zervice,
05
HOW TO WIN ARE you a gambler? A
pontoon player? Would you like to win without ac-
cheating? Ask tually
computer how to do it,
a
Edward Thorp did. He is an American scientist, no the pan- Loon which concerned him was caller blackjack. The electronic "brain" replied with some most Interesting facts.
It proved that at times a player has better-than-50-50 chance of beating the bank. One Guch occasion is when all the Alves have been played. Then the add improve only slightly. But once in 5,000 hand, the player has an 16 per cent advantage.
Mr Thorp checked his predic- tens against local variations in the gaining rules of casinos and saloons in Nevada. He has now worked out some "systems." His report appears in the proceedings of the Academy of Sciences.
THE BIG KETTLE THREE months in the Big
ometal National
Kettle may become o fitness test for a Journey to Mars.
The Kottle, 32 feet high, 32 feet in girth, in a vacuum chain- ber built by American stcentists at Princeton. Inside, the con- ditions of outer space can be reproduced,
A spicllite or spaceship can be lowered through its "," ponded with a force of 14 tonn, vibrated 3,000 times a second, Fonked, dried out, heated above bon point, and quick frozen 10 100 below zero. The whole performance can be kept up for Three ronttravelling me to More and back.
Any volunteers for tea?
London Krpters Kerulce).
NEXT WEEK:
Lord Alverstone
"Now then. Jackson, wo'll see what sort of a mezs
you make of this one!"
MENS SHOES
-Oh-oh!-This is going to be
awkward!
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