Inspector Playfair's Notebook THE BEAUREGARDS CASE

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 35, 11 February 1939, Page 8 (Supplement)

Inspector Playfair's Notebook THE BEAUREGARDS CASE

«pVERY day, Duu&nr said 1-i Inspector Joshua Playfair, "brings forth its own peculiar problem." Sergeant Dumbell stared boot*. Finding no inspiration 4Wm9 he said, non-«ommittally, Playfair's face relaxed. "Yon <fcm't know what I'm getting at?" "I'm sorry, air, said Dumbell, To be perfectly frank, I don't." Hi* superior pushed aside bis chair and began to pace up and down the room. "It's this Seatiregards case," he said. "The burglary at Beauregards Castle. A baffling affair, Dumbell, Sixty-two thousand pounds—that's what the stolen good® are valued at." He glanced at the inventory in front of him. "Pictures; prints; china; bric-a-brac; armour. What a haul! Enough stuff to fill a respectable museum, driven off by night in a furniture van. And what-maddens me is this. I know who took it all——." —How do you know, -sir ?" asked Dumbell. y "I wish you wouldn't interrupt. I know it, Dumbell, by the prieking of my thumbs. (Don't Jook alarmed; 'MacbethV a set book at' the Police College) . I know who .took the booty—Jesse Adleiner. But I only kiiow it in the sense that I'm morally certain. I know who'sgotit now—Carl Arrhenius. (Ths cleverest fence in the West End, Dumbell). But I haven't got the beginnings of a case. I can't even establish a connection between the two." Dumbell produced a: tobacco pouch. "Mind if I smoke, sir? . . . Would it help you, may I ask, it jon could establish the connection f" 'It would." said Playfair promptly. In two ways. In the first place, it would enable me to narrow my circle of inquiries.. The. personnel engaged in thw. esse is costing the country fsr too much.. In the second place—and this i> mors important—it would give me a prints'facie case ior the issue of certain warrants.". see, air,*. said Dumbell sagely. The upshot of thw conversation wifl a summons to Mr. Jesse Adleiner to report to Playfair at the Yard. He turned up that afternoon. A thickset, wary, little man, with broad shoulders and muscular forearms. He it was (so Playfair was convinced) who had entered Beauregards Caetle by a fourth ™ or Window and had made possible the wholesale burglary which followed. .■L ,r;.,- AdWner " »id Playfair, when the htt»e man had seated himself. "I want to talk frankly to you. Do you know any reason why I shouldn't!'' fKone whatever, inspector. I've msdf mistakes in my time, but"—he looked Playfair full in the face—"not lately No, not for a long time now.* "Good." Playfair's tones were non committal. "The* you won't bt offended—will you T—if I talk about thi burglary at Beauregards t"

CASE No. 29

"Offended?" said Adleiner. "Why should I be?" Playfair glanced at his papers. "There were certain valuable* stolen which I'm specially anxious to recover. A 14th century clock; a Charles JI. silver tankard; a series of colour-prints by Fujoyada; a number of Sevres va«es," Adleiner shrugged his shoulders. "What's any of that got to do with met" "Only," answered Playfair, "that I thought you might have —certain contacts. You can't suggest where I could go for information?" He handed over his list. "Sevres vases now. You don't know any concern—outside the regular dealers—that specialises in those?" .5 Said Adleiner doggedly. "It's nothing to do with me. If this is a trap—as I suppose It Is—l couldn't walk into it if I tried." Playfair laughed. "You rowt think I'm an optimist. No, Adleiner, it's just that crime ie like politics. I must leave no; avenue unexplored. These Fujoyada print* now -- ' "I don't know what Tujoyada' means." ss--f / 3 u r ?

Playfair lifted his eyebrows in mock astouislimcnt. "So much," he said, "for culture. I thought everyone had heard r of Fujoyada, one of the great names of Japanese art, just as everyone has heard , of Rembrandt. . . . Well, Adleiner, let's , pass from the 18th century to the prei eent. Have you ever heard of Carl . Arrhenius J" He watched Adleiner narrowly as. he put this significant question. But the . little man's expression remained immoi bile. "Never heard the name," he said. "Arrhenius f No, it means nothing. Is [ that another Jap?" ■ When he left, 20 minutes later, the I interview had not extracted from him a single statement. 1 Nor had Arrhenius, who called the fol- " lowing day, much more to say for him- ; self. , Ostensibly, he was a general dealer in ' Hantpstead. He began by explaining f that he never read the newspapers; and went on to emphasise, when pressed by Playfair, that he had hardly heard of ; the Beauregards affair at all "You've no idea who can have committed the burglary?" Arrhenius rolled his eyes to heaven. "Inspector! Why on earth should I have ?"

"Never heard of a chap name* Adleinert" "Never." Playfair consulted his note*. "You're an authority on clocks?" "Clocks?" "Clocks." "I'm an authority on nothing. I'n afraid," said Arrhenius. He repeate< what sounded strangely like Adleiner'i formula. "If this is a trap., inspector I shall disappoint' you. I aon't knov what you're driving at." "That's all right, Mr. Arrhenius. ] merely asked if you were interested ii clocks."

'And I replied that I was not inter ested in clocks. Let me repeat, inepec' tor, that I'm just a general dealer. Not one of your West End experts. Yon mentioned clock* just now; I know nothing about them. You said something about Sevres—l just know where th« place is. You mentioned Japanese prints—well, I may have heard of Fujoyada. You alluded to silverware—my information comes from Whittaker. II you want expert advice, inspector, you've sent for the wrong man." "Another disappointment, eh!" said Dumbell, when Carl Arrhenius had gone. "They know their job, those two—if indeed they are, as you seem to think, implicated." Playfair looked at the ceiling. "No, they're not so hot as all that, Dumbell. Send for Staff-Sergeant Grimwade, will you?—l've found out what I wanted to know." How has Playfair's object been obtained? (Solution on page 9.)

Houseboy's Forgeries

AFTER Ke had expressed a wish *"V to remain in gaol "so that he might be cured," John Peter Birtwistle, aged 39, who. once served as houseboy to a North of England curate and studied at Oxford and Cambridge, was recently sentenced at Leeds Assizes to 12 months* hard labour. Birtwistle pleaded guilty to 10 charges relating to forgery, and admitted 57 cases of false pretences, including 66 in connection with football pools. According to the prosecution, Birtwistle obtained £307 10/, almost the whole lify savings of his landlady, Miss Cowkin, of Newton-in-Bowland, Yorkshire. One of Birtwistlc's last exploits was to engage a car and chauffeur for a holiday in Scotland, for which he paid with a forged cheque for £62 10/ drawn on Miss Cowkin's account. Birtwistle was subsequently arrested at Kendal. Evidence was given by P.C. Albert Cross that at the age of 19 Birtwistle won a scholarship at Oxford and studied for the ministry. In 1935 he was charged with stealing jewellery, was stated to be suffering from mental strain as the result of over-study, and was bound over on condition that ha entered a home. From the home he was transferred to

a mental hospital. Subsequently he lived with an aunt. When he obtained money Birtwistle spent it indiscriminately on other people. Cross-examined by Mr. M. Archibald, defending, the constable stated lie had no knowledge of Birtwistle ever having Aired an aeroplane. Birtwistle had been not only to Oxford, but to Cambridge. Dr. F. H. Brisby, medical officer at Leeds prison, stated that he had found Birtwistle to bo an invert. His excursions into crime gave him an outlet apparently for his repressed emotions. Mr. Archibald then told Mr. Justice Lewis that at one time Birtwistle was houseboy to a curate, and a member of the congregation was so impressed by his extreme piety and ability that he enabled him to go to Oxford University. "Ha got into an unfortunate set," goii. tinued Mr. Archibald, "and the result was that financial assistance was withdrawn. "By some meant or other lie went to another university, where he indulged in what seem to me revolting experiments of a psychic nature. "Later he felt that these obsessions and horrors were still going on in his mind, and he entered a mental hospital, staying there until November. left in a last desperate hope of getting help from three eminent psycho* login*." e * Tb*. jadge described Birtwiatla'a m "eroel ami wicked." Pawing 111 WWII* a« eteted, hi* lordship exprenwa S*; fop*. ****•*■ yriji th»,»wtog of