THE FIRE-RAISERS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 35, 4 November 1933, Page 18

THE FIRE-RAISERS

Clue to Gigantic Frauds

Sensational developments in connection with Scotland Yard's inquiries into alleged fire-raising, following disclosures during and subsequent to the Leopold Harris trial, included the departure for Manchester of Chief-In-spector Yandell. of Scotland Yard, with other officers. Since the proceedings at the Old Bailey were concluded. Scotland Yard has been conducting an intensive investigation, and it is believed that the detectives’ visit to Manchester is a sequel to the revelations then made. Private investigations undertaken by underwriters and insurance companies in London have been stopped to allow Scotland Yard a free band. Detective officers are said to have interviewed certain of the men now serving sentence following the Old Bailey trial, as a result of which they have made exhaustive inquiries. Important developments are stated to be imminent. The “Sunday Chronicle” understands that Chief-Inspector Yaudell’s business in the North may extend to other big provincial cities. Apart from the detectives' visit to Manchester, Scotland Yard has been conducting an intensive investigation into the operations of gangs suspected of fire-rais-ings. The gangs came into formation during the war and first operated in a small way—-mostly in London. As the profits increased they were able to build up the most complete and amazing organisation. . Unlimited money enabled them to retain the services of clever but unscrupulous chemists, electrical engineers and technical experts. These devised brilliantly ingenious methods of fire-raising. Scotland Yard has discovered a secret

method of fire-raising by means of the inter-action of chemicals which leaves absolutely uo trace. Whatever happens. the formula will be kept a secret from the public in the interests of public safety. ’There is a method whereby many mills, factories, warehouses and offices have’ been completely gutted by tire although uo one had been allowed to approach them for months. A factory would be closed down — usually during the time of the postwar depression—and, maybe, a guard set to watch the building. The premises would remain unoccupied and derelict for months on end, but at a fixed day and time the building would burst into flames without anyone having entered it. The gangs’ chemists worked out with infinite patience the exact length of time taken by certain acids to act on incendiary bombs and, once planted in the building, they could be left to do their work a year lienee. Another method was used more frequently on smaller, but equally profitable premises—country bouses, old manors, and places filled with valuable furniture, antiques, and pictures heavily insured. Here all that was necessary was to allow water to leak away very slowly from a filled lavatory basin, and by a secret process a lire would result as soon as the water drained away. So clever were the fire-raisers that detection was almost impossible. Only a few people knew the directing brains of these organisations, and although large numbers of people were employed on various “jobs” from time to time, they were never allowed to know who was actually employing them.