Playfair's Notebook

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Playfair's Notebook

"Kozi Nuk is a small house at the end of a cul-de-sac. about half a mile from the main road." (2) Statement by Miss Eva Handstingle. "At at>out 9.55 p.m. on the 19th, ■when I was alone in the house, the bell rang and, on opening the door, I was at once attacked by a man dressed as a chauffeur and wearing a black mask. There is a clipboard under the stairs a few yards from the front door; the door of this was standing open. He forced me into tlie cuplniard and locked the door, and I then heard him running upstairs. I was rescued not many minutes later by my friend, Mrs. Thrumple, who had come in as usual for a chat. My first thought was for my diamonds, which were kept in a locked dra-wer in mv l>edroom. I found the lock forced and the diamonds stolen."

(3) Statement by Harry Handstingle. "I left the house, as I do most nights, to get a glass of whisky at the Hipwell Arms, which is situated near to the main road at the end of the lane leading to Kozi Xuk. Some 500 yards from Kozi Nuk I passed a two-seater

Case No. 10 THE AFFAIR AT KOZI NUK car. The driver, a. young man with a ginger moustache, stopped his car and a,«ked me if he was on the right road for Middleliurst. "I told him that he had made a mistake and I loft him backing his car in the narrow lane with a view to turning round. He was wearing chauffeur's uniform, and was undoubtedly the blackguard who attacked my sister."

(4) Statement by Mrs. Ada Thrumple, Three Firs, Hipwell. "I generally look in on my friend, Eva Handst ingle, some time between a quarter and half-past ten. Harry is then having his nightcap at the Hipwell Arms, and, as Kozi Xuk is a lonely sort of place, Eva does not much like to be alone. On the 19th, I arrived as usual about ten to hear Eva screaming and knocking on the door of the cupboard under the stairs.

"The intruder had left the keys in the lock, and in less than no time I had Ev.i out and had heard her story. I can corroborate that the drawer in her bedroom had been forced and the diamond necklace stolen. My house, The Three

Firs, i» about 500 yards from Kozi Xuk along the lane leading to the main road. I did rot meet any car either going or returning."

(">) Statement by Joe Willings, landlord of the Hipwell Arms. "Mr. Handstingle c\ame in about a quarter past ten. He had three double whiskys and left at about 10.40. He mentioned, in the course of conversation, that he had met a car whose driver wanted to go to Middlehurst, and remarked what an idiotic mistake it was to have turned down the narrow lane leading to Kozi Xuk. '1 he turn to Middlehurst is half a mile further along the main road."

(f>) Statement of Charley Knott, A.A. scout, llipwell. "On the" 19th I was stationed at the crossroads at Hipwell. within sight of the turn leading to Kozi Xuk. from 7.30 p.m. until 11.30 p.m. At the request of the area organisation I was taking a census of cars passing the Hipwell crossroads, he only cars passing between !) p.m. and 10.30 p.m. were cars proceeding from Middlehurst in the direction of London, and —while none of us is infallible—l should be prepared to swear that no car. during the hours mentioned, came through Hipwell in the other direction or turned up the lane at the end of which Ko/.i Xuk stands."

"What an extraordinary case, sir," said Dumltoll, when he had carefully read through these documents. "Where <1 id the mysterious burglar come from and how did he make his getaway?"

Playfair laughed. "Shall I tell you something. Dumbell?" hp said. "I think this is 011 c of the simplest cases that lws came our war."