A BOGUS DETECTIVE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 156, 29 March 1926, Page 8

A BOGUS DETECTIVE

STREET ACCIDENT RECALLED MAN’S PECULIAR BEHAVIOUR For some unknown reason a man, purporting to be a detective, called at 20S Willis Street one day last week and informed the occupant, Mrs. G. Jones, that lie had just effected the arrest, of the driver of the motor lorry which ran over and killed her young son, Paul, recently. 1 “I’m a detective,” said tlie stranger, “and I’ve come up to tell you we have arrested the man who killed your son in Vivian Street a few weeks ago. I haven’t been down lorg from Auckland,” lie continued, after entering the house at Mrs. Jones’s invitation. “So the case is not so clear as it might be. Tell me, Mrs. Jones, what was the result of the inquest? Did the Coroner bring in a verdict of manslaughter or what? So far I have not seen anything in the papers about it.” Mrs Jones replied that no inquest had as yet been held, as the police had wanted time to investigate the affair a little longei. The stranger seemed relieved. “Well, tlie inquest won’t be long now,” he answered, “for we got the man to-day. Ever since I came from Auckland Detective Murray and I have worked day and night on the case. While 1 was standing at the corner of Singers’ Lane this morning about 11 o'clock I noticed a mqn go past on a lorry. At a glance I knew him, for I have had my suspicious for some time who he was.” The “detective” then gave a thrilling account of how a taxi was commandeered, and a wild pursuit, and the fugitive overtaken. “Eventually,” said the stranger, “we caught him. On the way to tlie station he made a complete confession. ‘I was drunk,’ he said, ‘that’s how it happened.’ ” The “detective* added that the arrested man was taken to the watch, 'jouse, where a charge of manslaughter was preferred against him. Just as the visitor was about to leave Mrs. Jones inquired his name. "Oh, Banks,” he said. “Detective Banks, of Police Headquarters. ■ That address will find me.”

Inquiries were made at the police station that evening, but the authorities could only state that they knew of no such individual as “Detective Banks.” The police, however, are eager to trace his whereabouts. The following description of him has been circulated .-—Age, about 35; height, sft. Tin. ; full face, with sallow complexion, dark hair, and broad nose; medium build; slightly inclined to stoop; hazel eyes; clean shaved.” He has a deep dented scar on tlie left wrist Mr. Page, S.M., will conduct an inquest into the death of Paul Jones at 10.30 to-dav.