1939-01-28 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 28, 1939.

Page

"Chou Was A Fraud, But May Have Been High Personage'

ELDER WILLING GIVES FURTHER EVIDENCE

London, To-day.

Frederick Willing, describing himself as a Dutch subject of British descent, gave further evid- ence at the resumed hearing of the China Arms] Case at Old Bailey yesterday.

Willing, who is appearing on charges of fraud. with his son and Dennis Corrigan, said he had join- ed his son's business as adviser in 1936.

He had known Corrigan for about fifteen years, see- ing him at race courses in Belgium, where Cor- rigan was well known.

He did not do any business with

Corrigan. "We just raised our hats

when we met."

Speaking of the arms deal, he

was furious when his son informed him that Laffitte's £5,250 had been handed to Corrigan in cash against Chou's receipt.

better.

MARSEILLES JUNK

SECRET PRESENT

BELGIUM

COMPOSES DIFFERENCE

Brussels, To-day. Belgium and the Spanish Re- publican Government have com- posed their differences.

As a result of notification that the counsellor of the Republican Embassy in Brussels, Señor Tre- vajano, is returning as charge d'affaires, Belgium has ordered her own charge d'affaires to re- sume duties in Republican Spain. -Reuter.

55

BLAZING MANOR ESCAPES

Lady Anderson. Ties Sheets Into Rope

Lady Anderson, wife of Sir Alan Anderson, M.P., for the City of London, was trapped by fire at their home, Notgrove Manor, in the Cotswolds, 15 miles from Cheltenham, and made her escape down a rope of knotted sheets.

The fire was discovered at 6 a.m., and despite the efforts of the brigades burned until late afternoon, Except for a new

CANARIES SAVEwing, the manor, which was for

A FAMILY

many years the home of the des- cendants of Dick - Whittington, was destroyed.

Gave Warning Of Gas valuable collection of books and

Escape In House

signs of collapsing saved a Liver- Three canaries which showed

WAS FOR DUKE escape at their home.

pool family, when there was a gas

Denying herself sweets saving *every penny,

Christmas present.

When the Duke made his last

The library, which contained a manuscripts, was burnt, and fam- ily portraits, which cannot be re of the building. placed, were lost in other parts

The flames spread so rapidly that within a few minutes they were shooting through the roof...

by Miss Diana Anderson, who

and They were Mr. Peter Westhead Lady Anderson could not get Muriel (61), his wife, Mary Elizabeth down the stairs. He told his son that such tran- Wright, aged twelve, of Clark-(55), their three children, Alice She tore the sheets from the sactions were never paid in cash street, Stepney, had for

weeks (24). Lily and Georgina, twins bed and knotted them into a and that he should have known been planning a mysterious (21), and William (5), a grand-rope. Then she went to a bath- son, all of Luton-grove, Kirkdale. room, secured one end of the rope, and descended hand over Continuing, Willing said that Her parents were amazed when They had all retired to bed ex- 15ft below.

hand to the snow-covered ground when his son told him of the dis- she announced that the present cept Mr. Westhead, who noticed covery of the "junk" at Marseilles was for the Duke of Windsor, three canaries belonging to his

Beaten Back by Flames (the reference is to the cases pur-"as he had been so kind to the daughter Alice showing signs of

The flames were first noticed porting to contain arms but ac-poor children.”

collapsing. tually filled with rubbish) he had

roused the household and then threatened to interview Chou and broadcast, announcing his abdica- him family, some of whom he ade. She was, however, beaten He rushed upstairs and roused tried to telephone the fire brig-

' told them what I thought of on, Muriel cried bitterly, as all found partly overcome. Alice was maid offered to go through the.

back. by flames, and a kitchen semi-conscious, but the others were able to get up.

snowstorm to the village post "I had 8s. 6d. and decided to

office. buy him a toy Cairn terrier," Replying to prosecuting coun-Muriel said: "I had read in the spiration to Alice, and then re-night-clothes she ran through the

The police applied artificial re-

With only an overcoat over her sel, witness said he trusted Chou 'Daily Mirror how he had invited moved all the family to hospital. snow and over ice-bound fields to but not Corrigan.

children to his party, so instead of just sending a card, I decided

summon assistance. All except Alice were able to Directly the staff's safety had on this present.

leave immediately after treat-been ensured Miss Anderson res- ment. They remained in a nigh-cued her dog, Bon Bon, a white "One day I hope to speak to bour's house until the accumula- French poodle. the Duke. It will be a dream tion of gas had been dispersed. coming true."

Later Alice returned home.

Corrigan,

them. I called them a couple of crooks. Chou said nothing and smiled."

Counsel: There is no doubt now that Chou was a fraud?

Willing: Yes, but I wouldn't say that he is not a high personage.

TRIAL ADJOURNED At the conclusion of the evidence, counsel for James Willing address- ing the jury said that they should not be too influenced by the "arma racket being an unsavoury and, un- pleasant trade," or whether the destination of the arms was China, General Franco or Madrid.

The trial was adjourned till Monday, when it is expected

finish. Reuter.

COLOUR SHOWS CLASS

to

Different coloured clothes are worn to denote class distinction at a charity hospital af Winches- ter, Hants.

It's the 800-year-old St. Cross Hospital, on the outskirts of the town.

her life he had been her hero.

Gunmen

From

Try To Swim Island Jail.

NEW YORK, JANUARY 14. ARTHUR "DOC" BARKER, CO-LEADER OF A GANG OF GUNMEN AND HOODLUMS. WHO TERRORISED AMERICA A FEW YEARS AGO, TO-DAY LED AN UNSUCCESSFUL AT TEMPT TO ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ, AMERICA'S DEVIL'S ISLAND, UNDER COVER OF A HEAVY FOG.

1

He and four other public enemies. The other three, Rufus McCain were foiled by bullets from sharp and Henri Young, each serving shooting guards who saw them as twenty years for bank robbery, and they were stripping for an impos- William Martin, serving, twenty-five Bible swim to the mainland.

years for armed robbery, surrenderTM their leader had been wounded. ed the guards when they saw

People admitted to the hospital The five desperadoes escaped from who come from good-class famil- their cells before dawn by smashing ies, and who have fallen on bad the key bar thot locked the entire times are dressed I plum-colour block of cells. They climbed ed robes.

through a The "just ordinary working the rocky cliff of the island. folk" wear robes of black.

They were engaged on this work when the Stow-in-the-Wold fire brigade arrived. It had lit- tle difficulty in reaching the man- high wind having cleared the roads.

Cheltenhama fire brigade had a very different experience.

or,

a

Three times the engine had to be dug out of snow drifts, and when they did join the Stow-in- the-Wold brigade the firemen found that the only water avail- able was from ponds, which were frozen.

The flames had been spread through the hall of the old build- ing, and the firemen concentrated on the new wing, which was bullt in the last two ars: They suc.. ceded in saving It. Their work. warmly praised by Lady An- on.

Sir Alan Anderson, who is a director of the Bank of England, "All the convicts were suffering the L.M.S. Railway, and of ship- from exposure. They had stripped ping companies, was in London at

• Window and crawled down in the cold morning air for a mile the time. He immediately left and-a-quarter swim through peril for Cheltenham to join Lady An- ous currents,” said Warden · James derson and their daughter, who The two classes seldom as80- In the rain of bullets that stopped Johnston. ciate with each other and live in their light Barker was severely

had been given accommodation at "Barker and Stamphill were shot Mr. Webster Cory's farm near separate buildings.

wounded in the head and leg, and because they refused to surrender, their ruined home. This idea was started by Henry may die from his injuries. Dale "When we found them mishing De Blois and Cardinal Beaufort Stamphill, serving a sentence of turned on the floodlights. The bay But in 1939 it is an idea to life imprisonment for kidnapping, looked His a mass of wool, but we longer it's new.

was wounded in both knees,

could see the convicts runnin

had planned a Christmas party at Sir Alan and Lady Anderson the manor but none of the guests. had arrived.