1938-09-15 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG. TELEGRAPH, THURSDAŸ, * SEPTEMBER ::- 15,

There Are Gangsters

In England

THE FACTS By Peter Cheyney-

THE Senday Dispatch asked Peter Cheyney, famous author and criminologist, to answer this question:

IS THERE A GANG MENACE IN ENGLAND? Ho has made wide inquiries, using "contacts" and sources of information not available to the police or any official investigator.

To-day he exposes the activities of the gangs in Lon- don, shows how they have organised for new rackets, and reveals the lender of one of the most dangerous moba as a man so tough that he laughed when he was being given the "cat."

WHAT is the truth about the

English "gangs"?

goods of this nature. They were, obviously, dificult to dispose of.

“Only A Mug"

Talks

}

To-day their disposal is arranged before the burglary is efected. The gang organisen the sale of the goods to the pubile through óne or more of the controlled shops and pays of the burglars, The gang never take

in a burglary themselves. Legitimate citizens living

in gaug ureas are not very keen on giving evidence against the boys should the pollee desire to bring charges.

part in a

Ous of the boys told me

"Only a mug gives evidence. 1 you're known and working around the neighbourhood you might get done. Maybe this week or maybe {next month,

"Some time ago Д Woman save evidence and the squeak has

Cone around that she's going to be 'pald' for it soon. We don't like people who talk to coppers."

the

Retaliation on rival gangs and un- popular Individuals has reached organisation thai Up to 1927 the Hackney gang was such a stage of supreme in the West End. That one gang has employed two or three to carry out wrestlers year was a peak year for them, but ex "all-in"

then required. Does a definile organisation exist they suffered a set-back in the punishment when

would briefly summarise in and about London, an organton fainous battle of Ham Yard. tlon comparable with the original

In this gang fight the amount of pelvities of London gangs--exclud- small-time American gangs?

operations as follows: Or do our English gangs consist-blood shed on the stairs of a clubing racecourse and greyhound track In the neighbourhood necessitated "Working on" smaller and more think of as many people preter

subversive night clubs and buttle handfuls of foolish young men who the use of buckets of sawdust. hong about street corners and occa- sionally, after a drink or two, sum mon up sumclent courage to intimi date some small shopkeeper or cafe proprietor into handing over a few packets of cigarettes?

Let us examine some facts of the last few months:

at

Old "Looking After"

Swims The Baltic

Jenny Kummersgaard, husky Danish swimming 19-year-old

star, who swam the Baltic Sen In 40 hours 0 minutes. She entered the water of Gedser, South Den- murk, on a 37-mile course that took her Ju Nelnhagen, Ger- many. She is believed the first ever to have accomplished the fent. She ate fried eels, while battling the ley water for nearly two days.

Picture Finds

Mother Her

Another ¡Constable Charged

1938.

Alleged. Failure to Arrest Criminal

A conglable named Che Ping- Unit, tsuch, of the Emergency Police Training School, appeared before Mr. K. M. A. Barnett at the Kowloon Magistracy yesterday charged with

neglect of duty by having falled to arrest a man whom he had reasons to suspect was an offender of the law,

lay,

Represented by Mr. W. A. Mackin- the defendant plended not guilty Det.-Sergent Mottram, who pro- the recuted. said that on August 7, defendant and another constable vere detailed for two hours search duty at the Jordan Road Ferry wharf. About 11.30 am. a newspaper haw- ker, Lul On, saw two Chinese men being stopped by the defendant for

BLUE TICKET SALE Special Bargains for one week only.

Be

Ready

for the Coming

Season.

a search. One of the men carried Whiteaway's

small rattan basket and the other ralian around fruit basket. The basket was opened and Lui saw that it contained what appeared to him

to be heroin pills. Lui next notleed

the defendant and the two men enter the first class entrance to the wharf.

offer these

IN THE

HE LADIES' DEPT.

timely bargains

which you should

Looking into the waiting compart- ment through the wire-netting he saw the defendant

dant search one of the men and find on him a bundle of notes.snap up at once.

He later witnessed one of the men two lots of giving the defendant notes at different periods.

Lul followed the defendant and one of the men as they bourded a More recently a member of one parties; blackmailing: arranging for

ferry and he observed that they wat together with the rattan basket on of the smaller South-East district the pockets of "good-time Charlies"

"organisation" nil be picked;

the floor between

thal them. At gangs told of a stab wound in the to

time there was a Chinese detective, thigh won from three members of a "protection" of street women in the

district; securing

curing "selling or

who was oft duly, on board the same rival organisation who waited for gong bim and "paid" him merely

through for ganisation"

"controlled"

ferry and Lul told him what he had shops or alternatively "pushing"

observed of the actions of the de- "being saucy."

cheap lines on legitimate traders;

fendant and the with him.

man with protecting and controlling the ne

Heroln In Basket Livities of hitherto unimportant

When the ferry arrived at Hong- bodies of sacek-thieves, pickpockets.

kong the detective disembarked and etc., whose work is now e

work In

and his intercepted the defendant and "ald-out" for

were leaving and they were S companion "doing" der July 5: Twenty coloured men using looked after" in the main by the th

with him was under arrest. razors and loaded sticks fought in West End Boyn. This gang is work- eating up) individuals who have

defendant replied in the negative and Grove-street, Stepney. Many in-

financial

when requested to help take the man jured.

All combatants escaped ing both blackmail and protection annoyed members or friends or for

one who wants an enemy "paid." before the arrival of the police.

It will be realised that the gangs Mrs. Helen Wooster, of Ma-to the Central Police Station he uald that he had no time, and returned to well. July 15: Police-Constable

June 8: Pollce evidence

street tells of battle between rival gangs using rubber truncheons at an open-air dance.

Lang-

ing to secure information after a disturbance

Two

West End

To-day the West End of London is treat: "Payi hem-often un-

rockets.

these

or

And it will be

Baby Son

Glancing through a news-

Iclal consideration from some- paper recently, 31-years-old whether The question of thorne attacked while endeavour-people mean business or are merely cover-up very

is best seen from the above facts that ur- 5on's avenue, Wealdstone, high-spirited tough Inds" answered by a quick look at the rest of gang members is unlikely Middlesex, saw staring back leader of the biggest S.E. district unless the police happen to be on at her from one of the pages the spot at any given moment or endeavour Lo теп

hrow mob. Palice-Constable Foote over a One of his first achievements after unless there is an arranged "battle" a photograph of a bonny 12- Fallway badge (Foote defended receiving a sentence was to knock which has come to the ears of the months-old baby, says a

lantern a il himself with his

out a six-fool warder. He was given

Occasionally somebody "breaks Home reporter. weapon. He was injured).

"the cat" and laughed while the July 20: Michael McCausland died punishment was being administered. ut" and gets himself arrested. Then

Never pays

for anything he relative Invariably turns up and in hospital following a Solo gang fe Right, Subsequently two men were "buys" In his own district and uses tells the world what a good boy he hands. "That is sentenced to eighteen months for the smaller night clubs and bottles to his mother! causing grievous bodily harm to, parties of the Ernie Riec, ex-lightweight cham- Nobody, would think of asking him plon of Europe.

to pay!

Went End free.

24 FAZOK.

This man does not use He has invented a unique weapon of;

slung he carrics own which under his left arm-a piece of heavy rubber tubing colled round with

At the inquest on McCausland rela-

tives shouted. "It was murder!" Aurust 9: Three men charged

West Hom with maliciously wounding a police-constable, Two young women who witnessed thei

Here is a favourite "play" of the tight refused to give evidence in! open court The court was elenr- boys working the West End.

wire.

Employment is secured for one of

"blue-inks."

COCKTAIL DRINKERS BEWARE

Sydney.

At a meeting in the Town Hall ed after the magistrate had given

warning that if the girls were the gang members us a doorman at vestibule, cocktails were indicted molested severe punishment would one of the cheaper night-clubs or as a great social evil. ---

dives. This individual, on a selected be meted out.

dozen of the night lets in half a boys.

They Were

Justified

I have talked with a near relative; of one of the girls mentioned in the last example, who refused to give!

I think evidence unless protected.

that these young women were justi- fled in their attitude.

Investigation into the activilles of the London gangs shows that they

They smash up the place, threaten the proprietor, insult the women. He Pays For

"Protection"

The proprietor-who often

hus

And

The

her

she

fell from newspaper

my baby!" gasped. It was her son Peter, whom she had not seen for three weeks.

As soon as her bewilderment had passed she told the polfee, who were searching for her while the baby was being cared for at the Central Middlesex Hospital, Park Royal.

t

Mrs. Wooster, who had been for some time, had moved into new lodgings with her elder child | daughter,

asked the defendant If the man

let

carrying contained

The

heroin pills.

Kowloon. The detective had learned from the man that the basket he was when the matter was reported to the

Police to the

Training was sent Central Station a telephone message School enquiring if the defendant: was in his barracks, and it was found that he was not. He returned shortly after 1 p.m. and when searched no money, except a few cents, was found on him. His duty at the wharf end- ed at 12 p.m.

Lui then gave evidence and was describing what he had seen at the Jordan Road wharf, when the case wan adjourned for a few minutes no that Mr. Barnett and Mr. Mackinlay could visit the wharf to note the positions that had been occupied by Lul during the alleged incidents following the searching of the basket. After hearing was resumed Lul

was ich completed his evidence, and after he cross-examined by Mr. Mackinlay, the further hearing of the i case was adjourned to next week.

Her son, bright-eyed and red-had been he smuggled in the arms of the haired, called for her repeatedly as and called nurses, who liked him "Ginger."

Canon R. B. S. Hammond spoke on the motion that cocktails and

Peter was not curious about his alcoholic drinks should be excluded

He was not from social functoris. He asked that new surroundings.

even surprised when he was taken hostesses exclude "this vlee nation-destroying poison from their from his cosy cot in the comforting arms of a policeman to Hendon beverage list.

Pollee Court on Saturday, where a man in whose possession he was found was called to give evidence.

"CHILD GIVEN TO ME"

Many

of the speakers said that find never tasted cocktails in their lives.

Cocktail will be attacked an

These include:-- Thy They are a mixed drink.

good reason for not going to the number of counts. consents to pay police eventually for "protection."

There are, in the London district. well quite Bre

a number of ahops and cales; die dressed with tho conventionally which are either actually owned or

are not merely composed of young

The tough

members

valsts,

A

are the cause of much social They are bringing Australia to be controlled by rangs. The mera C3 nation physically. "smart" American padded shoulders Cont

chandise, provisions, cigarettes. They are a great peril to young and slim wa

Their favourite weapon is the old- hosiery, or fancy goods, sold at these people.

pro- They are sapping the moral Abre time steel razor or a safety razer places are invariably stolen

the result of

burglaries of the nation. blade

tied into a cleft stick." To-day there are over one hun- effected by crooks who work in close or under defallo co-operation with,

dred members of London gangs

perty.

walking about the Metropolis with orders from the crooks, warc

and

the

The gangS razor-slashed faces as the result of

house thieves, and petty burglars gang battles.

goods, control The most important "gang" dis- who steal the

as prices at which the stuff is sold to tricts in London to-day arc

by shopkeepers who will sell it. follows:-

If

"got there people funny," they can always be (a) blackmalled, (b), "paid" or "done" with a razor, (c) have their shop smashed up.

1.. Hackney (the Hackney gang).

2. Hoxton (the Boys).

3. South-eastern District (the Ele-

phant and Castie Boys),

uny

of

It,

Tramp Returns And Pays

Oroville, Cal. Mrs. Allan M. Smith bèlleves she Is the only house-wife on record to have given a tramp a meal and then to have him come back and pay for At the time she gave the man some sandwiches and cake, he suld: 5. The West End ("worked over" which such goods as hosiery, shirts, "I'll come back on Saturday and pay by the Hoxton gang, the Ele-elgare:les, fancy goods are stalen for this." On Saturday he returned

and insisted ale accept 35 phant and Castle Doys and the are interesting inasmuch jackney gang),

time thieves did, not steal bulky which he declared the meal was

4. North London.

The increasing burglaries in

DON'T BLAME HER

119 old-

YOU ARE SO MEAN

I AM GOING TO MOTHER/

worth

couts

seven

nt

G.M.

ort

Joseph Brogun, aged 36, a brick- layer, was accused of being drunk while in charge of a chlid under the

12.30 of agc Saturday.

Brogan had boarded a bus, but at con- Station-road, Wealdstone. the ductor thought that it was not safe for Brogan to be on the bus. He summoned Police-Constable Wade to eject Brogan.

Wade sald in court: "Brogan was carrying a child in his arms, and because he was very unsteady in walking and his breath smelt strong- ly of alcohol I took him into cus- tody."

Brogan, he added, did not know exactly to whom the child belonged,

In answer to the charge, Brogan said: "No, I was not drunk exactly. to me. three The child was given weeks ago."

Brogan was remonded. Until then Peter will not be allowed to leave the hospital.

ALL RIGHT!!

ALL RIGHT!! I'LL TAKE YOU TO THE KING'S THEATRE TO SEE "THE EMPEROR'S

CANDLESTICKS!"

Swagger Suits

and

Wool Marocain Coats Originally $62.50 cach

TO CLEAR AT

$35.00

each

Stephney Model Costumes, Bathing Suits, Raincoats and Capes

ALL LESS

Call early

25%

SMART STRAWS

All Colours

ideal for Autumn wear.

To Clear $2.95 cach

at

Bargains extremely limited

Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co., Ltd.

CHEE HING CO. COAL MERCHANTS Omer:-16, Connaught Road, 2nd Floor, Tel. 27360. NATAL NAVIGATION COAL SHIPMENT per sa. "Orfor" both good for Bunkers, Galleys, Factories, etc.. Apply to MR. PONG WING TONG, Manager.

Traditional

with the

Best Families

"My lady, your mother never com. plained. The Family always took ASPIRIN' even in those days.”

Fify Years

Gia

1888 (mature 1038 ·

REMEDIES

Good, reliable things carry on with time, and what was considered the "best" those days is acclaimed the best today. The original 'ASPIRIN' with the BAYER Cross is traditional with people who know.

ASPIRIN'

Bayer means

Best