BIG GANG

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1930, Page 11

BIG GANG

OPERATIONS IN VICTORIA

A BATTLE OF WITS

(From "The Post's" > Representative.) ■•;;'. SYDNEY, Ist May.

Behind tho arrest in Melbourne the other night of William Emanu&l Roach, who escaped from gaol on sth April, there, is an amazing story of a battle of wits between the detective force and an organised gang which, the detectives , believe, has been, financing the escapee. ' jhe police think that the gang is composed of men who are receivers of stolen property. The object, ■according to the detectives, was to Keep- Eoach in hiding until Aw could be smuggled o\it of the country. Ever since the escape of Boach squads of detectives hayo been scouring -the- country, following up slender clues and often ; keeping an all-night 'vigilance on houses where it was suspected that ho-was sheltered. 'From the beginning, of the hunt detectives realised that" Roach , and those behind

him.were clever and ingenious people, and that his capture would not be easy. Eoaeh, :when once clear of the prison walls, is said to have conceived; with the aid of his confederates, 'a most elaborate play for deceiving the detectives, and laying jfalse trails to put them off the proper tract. His plan was to have the detectives sent on false quests into the country for him while he was in, , hiding in the metropolis. For.weeks his ruse succeeded, but ultimately the forces of ti- law were too strong, and the dosei.secret of his plans became known to the detectives. His arrest followed. ,

For some time after his escape,! Boach 's letters, which contained money that came from some mysterious source, were sent to different centres in the country under fictitious names. There they were collected by a youth who travelled specially from Melbourne for the .purpose. The youth, on his return to Melbourne, would go to an appointed place on the Caulfield racecourse and deliver the letters, which, it is believed, were originally sent from one of the suburbs of Melbourne. Tho mystery of the source of tho letters is puzzling

tho detectives who, however, aro satisfied that they were sent by an organised gang. • Watch was kept by , the police for some weeks on the country post offices where delivery of the let-, tors was being taken, but never onco did Roach appear. Raids on various houses in .tho'country, where it was thought Roach might be^. were without result. ' ' i ■■ ■ One day last week the detectives .decided to shadow the youth who was collecting the letters, and the- trail took them to the Caulfield racecourse. The detectives did not see Roach enter the racecourse, but as soon as. the youth entered the whole place was surrounded, and Roach was found among a clump of trees. ; He had a revolver with him. .At one time he was a champion runner, and' ho evidently thought that he would be able to outdistance the detectives if ho was discovered my them. Roach expressed great astonishment at his capture, and declared that he had been'betrayed. At tho same time, ho refuses to disclose the gang which was of great assistance to him, but the police are hot on tho trail, and anticipate being able to make important arrests which will have the result of ridding Melbourne "of a large number of undesirables. ■