1940-02-03 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 3, 1940

CONVICTS

SHOP.IN

CROWDED STREET

Plymouth, January 12. At least two of the three convicts who escaped from Dartmoor last night, to-day went shopping in a busy Plymouth street while armed men searched the moors miles away.

That they got so far has given rise to the belief that they may have had help from outside and have been given food and money. If so they may be anywhere now.

Scotland Yard are watching London stations to-night. The men are un- noticeably dressed and have had plen- ty of time to catch a train.

It is now clear that while the hunt was at its height last night they "searched for themselves" disguised in warders' black oilskins.

KILLED HIS PAL, WEEPS IN COURT

An Army sergeant-major, who ac- cidentally shot his friend with a re- volver, broke down after telling the story at Croydon Goroner's Court, yesterday, and had to be assisted from the court.

He was Sergeant-Major Edward Terence Duggan, and the dead man was Sergeant Harold Brian Wright (30), whose home was at Dollls-hill, Finchley.

The tragedy occurred three days ago, and it was stated that the two men, who were the best of friends, shared the same bedroom.

In civil life, Sergeant Wright was an engineer.

It was alleged that Sergeant-Major Duggan had several times been seen playing with his revolver.

On one occasion, it was stated, he fired a shot in his room, and Sergeant Butcher, who happened to be present, told him it was a most unsafe thing to do, and that, moreover, It was against regulations.

Warders, police, mounted and foot, patrol cars, special constables, and civilians had been guarding roads, visiting farms, stopping cars, and searching Dartmoor as far as Exeter for nearly 24 hours when the first clue

On the day of the tragedy the dead was found late this afternoon-foot-

man was shaving when the revolver prints of several men on an embank-went off, killing him. ment where a branch line Joins the Immediately afterwards Duggan

G.W.R. main line.

TWO JACKETS

collapsed.

HE WAS SHAVING

Dr. Temple Grey said the bullet en- Did the convicts, avoiding well-tered the body on the right side, pass- guarded roads, walk 17 miles to Ply-ing through both lungs and the heart, mouth along the railway in last night's and almost emerged from the left black-out?

side. Death was due to haemorrhage from the heart.

After a long retirement, the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and added no rider,

Plymouth came suddenly into the search zone a little later; two convicts' jackets, one of them marked with Nolan's name, and two warders' black mackintoshes were found neatly fold- ed in a passage of a house in King-pathy, Mr. Williams started to criticise

street.

Police cars raced to the house.

Replying to expressions of sym-

the evidence of Duggan, and was sug- gesting that certain evidence had not A few minutes later it was estab- been given, when the Deputy Coroner lished that a man in a cap and un-said: "I cannot allow you to make any shaven, whose description tallies observations now. The case is con- exactly with that of William Nolan, cluded. aged 32, most dangerous man of the three, had bought two blue lounge coats, two pairs of blue dungarees, and a pair of gumboots from a second- hand clothes shop near by.

He had paid cash. Where the money came from is a mystery. No robberies have been reported in the

district...

More inquiries satisfied the police that the man for whom he had bought the second outfit was Charles John Sparks, alius Alfred Watson, aged 36, who was sentenced to four years' penal servitude for the prominent part he played in the Dartmoor mutiny of 1932. He knows Plymouth well.

Of the third man, Alexander Marsh,

"If you are not satisfied you can apply to the Divisional Court, but so far as I am concerned the inquiry is closed."

DUGGAN'S OUTBURST Describing the accident, Sergeant- Major Duggan, who was greatly dis- tressed, sald:-

"I took the revolver off my bed and, talking to Williams, I went to 'break' It.

"I think I cocked it instead of 'breaking' It..

"I accidentally pulled the trig- ger with my thumb, and It went off."

Mr. Williams (counsel for the re- latives of the dead man) said he ac-

there was still no trace late to-night.cepted what had happened as a pure

WARTIME CLUB STRUCK OFF

Le Rat Mort, Gerrard-street, was de- scribed at Bow-street Police Court, as one of a number of clubs opened in Soho since the outbreak of the war simply to "catch" soldiers, sailors and 'airmen.

The Magistrate ordered it to be struck off the register.

accident, but he did not accept Dug- gan's version of what had occurred.

Duggan, with much emotion, then said: "God knows I did not intend to kill him."

ARGENTINE CREDITS (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

Washington, To-day. granted Argentina credits aggregating The Exports and Imports Bank has $675,000,000 for the purchase of American railway equipment.--Havas.

N.Z. GIFT TO FINLAND

Wellington, To-day. The New Zealand Government yes- for

George Ptohopoulos (30), by Bay- ham-street, N.W., said to have been terday decided to allot £3,000 part proprietor, and Michael Caraolls | Red Cross work in Finland.-Reuter. (34), of Pérey-street, W.C., chairman

of the club and "sleeping partner," club was one of a number opened in were each fined £50 for selling al-Soho since the war simply to "catch" coholic liquor without a licence and soldiers, sailors, airmen, and others. after permitted hours, and permitting It was frequented by women known gaming with two automatic machines. to the police and disorderly house Ptahopoulos was also ordered to pay keepers. Ftohopoulos had

the re- £20 costs.

putation in Soho of possessing some personality; but his clubs had been a source of trouble to the police. Wacks, a native of Warsaw, had been associated with Soho, club life for many years. Above the

club room were bedrooms, in which the police found disgusting paraphernalia. [・・ "These "premises," said Mr. Dum- mett, the Magistrate, "seem to be run in a way which embraces everything one would desire should not exist, particularly having regard to the times in which we live."-

Samuel Wacks, of Tottenham-street, ́¿W.C., the 'secretary, was fined £50 for selling drinks after hours and permitting gaming.

Len Peters, of Hackney-road, E., who supplied the machines, was fined £10 for using the premises for gam- ing. The machines were ordered to be destroyed.

Caraolis said that he lenf £200, but took no part in the magagement. BEDROOM ABOVE Superintendent Cole, said that the

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