1938-07-29 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1998.

THE NUFFIELD PLOT

Thornton Spoke Of Shot For Himself

K. C. and "Clumsiness

In Nuffield Plot"

Thornton said that if he could not live with plenty of money he would rather die. He also said he would save one bullet for himself, but.take as many as he could with him if there was trouble."

This was part of the evidence of Major A. G. F. Ramsden, D.S.O., at the trial at Birmingham Assizes of 50-years-old, grey- haired John Bruce Thornton, who was charged in respect of a plot to kidnap Lord Nuffield and hold him to £100,000 ransom.

In addition to the original charges,Į two chargea of Inviting Major Ramsden were preferred ngulast Thornton. He plended not guilty to them all.

"RATHER HARD UP"

Mr. Cartwright Sharp, K.C.. open ing the case for the prosecution, out- lined the charges against Thornton.

"You know of the days when high- waymen abounded," he said.

"Now, if a men were arrested when he

was on his horse, a

rse, a black mask to one pocket, his pistol in his belt, and am- munition that would it fui pistol inj some other receptacle upon him, is

11011 not it perfectly obvious

that highwayman had that pistol and that ammunition with intent to endanger life?

"There are three people whose natnes will figure very Jurgely throughout this case; one is Lord Numeld, and, of course, we ait know of him as being a gentleman who is known for his charitable gifts.

The Charges

John Bruce Thornton, who formerly lived in Australla ond whose address is given as 9.8. Pierrette, Pinmill, Ipswich, was churged that:

"On May was in

24, at Oxford, he

matle pisloj,on of two auto-

and ammunition with intent to endanger life;

"On and between April 1 and May 24 he did incite Arthur Geoffrey Francis Ramsden to with him to kidnap conspire Witian Richard. Viscount Numeld;

"On April 18 he unlawfully incited Ramsden to assault and falsely imprison Lord Numeld;

עדיי

"On May 3 he unlawfully in- clled Ramsden to compel Lord Nuffield to execute a letter of credit by restraining bis person with intent to defraud Lord Nuffield"

Nufeld would be #1 the Morris

"The next man whose name will is Major Ramden. figure largely Unfortunately he does not shore with Lord Nuffield the reputation of great wealth. He is rather hard up, and worka. therefore n man whom Thornton! might imagine was pretty desperate) and ready to do anything.

"The other

Dank

"SHOWED HIS PISTOL"

That evening Thornton showed That will, ari Major Ramsden Imw he curried his He had a harness which en- course, figure in the case is that or pistol.

while the pistol to be concealed in the left aripit, so that it could de

Thornton.

"The methods of the gangster are drawn out quickly.

not usual in this country, and af On May 24 Major Romsden drove crime se desperate In Its natury Thornton to the Clarendon Holet, seems foreign to the English mind." Oxfort.

Majur Ramsden at one the car-

"When Mujor Bonusden saw Thorn-

ried on a business as a yacht broker ton at 5.30 Thornton had apparently at Cannes, and was agent for the found at, the last moment that even Royal Thames Yacht Club Thornton for his daring this was El too had a yacht at Cannes in those days, desperate.

and [riendly."

they

In

there

became "reasonably "Certain interesting things were found on Thornton and in the car. Under his left arm there was ព On December 20, 1937, Thornton, who was then apparently Austra automatic pistol and its harness. Hi, wrote to Ramsden from Mel-an attache case at

nis side On April 1 of this your an was another pistol, and there were bourne, ndvertisement appeared in.

There was blank news also artridges

Murri company, paper saying: "Ramsden, Major G. tepaper of the

this

late of Canties Please communlete lots of material for disguise, including with B.T. of Anubes, at the Thames," the red wig, which was not burol,

and a pair of stays. That meant the Thunes Varht Club,

"In addition, there was a knuckle- thing to have in

Thornton horrifled Major Ramsden duster L

by telling him that he had for a latut¦ one's luggage In the yacht were time been considering the possibility; found a puit of rubber gloves, sur- of kidnapping Lord Nutfield.

gical frees. two scalpels, El

syringe, fint bandages

They discussed ways of obtaining hypoderme

un Interview with Lord Nuffield, and and two padlocks and chains."

Thornton said, "If once I can get Nuf-, fleld alone I can get him out of the; end of a pistol. Once we get him in the yacht then it is easy enough have got some surgical instruments in the yacht."

without

"MANACLED VISCOUNT"

Mr. Hilary Carol Howard Bull,,ot Arthur-court Bayswater W., owner of the yacht Plerrette, said that he was a member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club and vice-commodore of the West Mersen Yacht Club,

In further cross-examination, Mr.

THORNTON "CLUMSY" Thornton then added that he wond threaten to perform a certain upera-Bull said that Pinmill was one of the an most popular yachting stations on tion on Lord Nuffield

Then he the east cousi, and in May there would anaesthetic, and went on:

the or 60 yachts at There he about 50 will have to sign what i wani One will be either to his wife or are three letters I want im to sign moorings.

Mr. Ward: It is not the sort of one would choose if one wished secretary to the effect that he is place unavoidably called

histo do a dark and dirty deed-not the and his! away engagements for the hornediate future sort of place you would choose to must be cancelled. Then there will take a manacled viscount in a dinghy be a letter to his bankers to tell them from the shore to a yach; about 100 that a Dr. Webb will be

be calling next yards out?--I should think not.

Wilfred Hobbs, ar

House. Mill day, and they are to

Streatley,

Berkshire, private secre- credit for £100,000. The third letter would be one intro- to Lord Numeld for 13 years,

tary to to the bunkers, and said that he first saw Major Ramsden

of

ducing

to give him a tetter

Dr. Webb to

THE QUINTS' OWN MOTHER GOOSE

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty

sat on a wall,

1928, NHA Service, inc.);

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

All the King's horses, and all the King's men

Cannot

put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Copyright, 1958, NICA Service, Inc.)

THIS play bas a riddle for its plot, and you're supposed to guess the answer:

Everyone has always maintained that the Dionne Quintuplets were natural-born actresses, but they proved it definitely when it came to producing this drama of the nursery, for the entire cast need- ed no egging on. Anyway, they scrambled onto the stage for the superhuman role of trying to do what all the King's horses and men had laid an egg at.

"Now, do you give up?" ask the Quinis,

Well, just look at the picture, It's a lot harder to unscramble the Quints,themselves in the up- per pleture, but in the lower one you can see eggsactly that from left to right are Ceelle, Marle. Au- nette, Emille, and Yvonne.

HEAVIER ROAD TOLL

YEAR IN BRITAIN

THIS

Rond casualties for the Bret Ave number of Injured cyclists rose by

show 799. Mr. Sharp commented: "Armed with on May 17, when he was accompanied months of the present year

MONTH'S FIGURES thuse documents what could a bank by Capt. Arbuthnot, the Chief Con- an increase over the corresponding

Totul castralties in May this year of Oxfordshire,

period of last year, in spite of the

manager do but do what he was toldi stable word. cross-examining Mr. fact that fewer people were killed were 19450, compared with 22,080

Mr.

you

meet me in

So

100 cd?"

It hus to be remembered that the

in writing by his customer?"

In May, 1937, and 18,627 in April. Thornton said: "It is always pos- Hobbs about a meeting between Lord or injured in May than in the same

Nuffield, Major Arbuthnot, Major month of 1937.

The totals were made up of: sible that Nuffleld may play false,

1037 1938 1038 You listen over the wireless, and if Ramsden, and himself, said, "You

May April May

504 Killed...

500 445 find that I have been arrested, realise that Ramsden and the Chief hen take him vut to sea and dump Constable were laying a scheme for Whitsun holiday fell in May of 1937.

Injured 22,370 18,110 10,005 to perform if he could be! This year it came in the first week But otherwise him.

of June,

Of the 455 killed last munth 187 France at Treport."

pedul Mr. Hobby: I think the idea was In order

During the first five months of were pedestrians 103 were to secure Lord Nuffield in the yacht,

Thornton told Ramsden to that if anyone was going to Lord this year 85.245 persons were killed cyclist, and 71 were motor-cyclists.

onds subjets, Nufield's office with loaded guns, it or injured, an increase of 547 over Out of the 155, one-half-274-lost would be as well if he came on the the corresponding period bl last their

mit, 152 of them de- speed-ilmit,

being of deaths year. The number

pedestrians and 57 cyclists. Of the 19,005 injured 13.928 were involved accidents on speed-limit rouds. Pedal cyclists headed the list of

some chains and pudlocks,

BUTOR

Scotland Yard. On May 10 Major day sled by the police?-A injured at 82,792 rose by 587.

17 were all Ramsden's cliued by 40 to 2,453 but the total of

irx

lives on ronds

to u

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It

May 4

4 Major Ramsden went to

From Ramsden, not having heard further from Scotland Yard, tried to dissuade actions

Just a fow drops on your brush During the period 1,199 pedes- Thornton from going on with the great many of them.

It Thornton hand broken his ap- scheme.

would have trans lost their lives, a decrease of injured, the total being 6.075, and make your hair more beautiful. "Later they discussed how to ob-pointment, Ramsden

in-4,824 receiving their injuries in acel-eeps the wave and curl in, leaves tain an Interview with Lord Nuffield, looked an utter tool? I had not con- 50, and 624 pedal cyclists, an

ercuse of eight. Of Uie injured, 20,934 dents on roads subject to a speed your hair easy to manage, so that I

will stay any style you arrange it, and Thornton and that he would pre-

sidered that.

Get a bottle to-day and note the Lend to be

a journalist, who was

In the City of London and Metro- Major Ramsden, in evidence, said were pedestrians and 24.316 pedal limit.

Compared with 1937, the

politan police districts 70 persons difference, writing articles about famous com- that on one occasion he and Thurnton cyclists.

were killed during May, ond 4,835 mercial magnates of England and drove to a shoot, and while sitting Europe. On

On May

20 Thornton hired in the car in a field Thornton out with his eyes covered up with plaster injured. In the corresponding month typewriter in the name of 'A. C. lined his scheme: "If I don't do it as they would be when he was a year ago deaths numbered 14 und Wilson, and in a car near

Thornton sald

inken to the bout-to somewhere 5,737 persons were injured. somebody clac

else will," and stated that

The futures devoted to child vic- he typed a very interesting letter."

He committed "one little clumsi-00 per cent. of men would say "Ye" near the Nuffield home, and leave

were ness," because he headed the letter-in other words, they would do as him with enough money to get home. tims of accidents show that 65 pedes

pedal cyclists "Queen's Hotel," Birmingham," and they were told-It a revolver were "Thornton told me that day that trians and 16

if there was a slip up at any time he killed, against 07 and 10 respectively were also dated it May 21, he posted it from pointed at them.

in May, 1937. There Major Ramaden continued, "I told would save one bullet and take os

Injured; decreases

1,000 Chelmsford. The letter, which pro-

him that I thought the scheme was many as he could with him-not cyclists ns against 1,201 in posed the interview, was

Bianca type and also in ink in Thornton'a completely fantastic, but Thornton necessarily Lord Nuffield; I think he 1937, and 2,000 pedestrians compared

said it would, be enay because neither was referring to the bank.

with 3,020. handwriting ከነዚ "R. C. Wilson

For the first five months of this At Thornton's request Major Rams- the pollee nor Lord Numeld would den felephones Lord Numeld, and on be expecting such an occurrence."

year the child pedestrians killed or This return told Thornton that; an

injured totalled 12,911, against 12,- 410, In May, 1937, and the cyclists 3,010 against 3,733, o'glock

Colchester

in

AygulaIDE HINT"

Interview had been granted for ab "I was to hold Lord Numeld for a next, evening, when Lord week, and then I was to inke him

"I had done my best to put Thornton off the plan.

Thornton was found guilty and sentenced to a long term of imprison- ment.

in the

May.

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