THE INTERNATIONAL EXPLOITS OF TEXAS JACK

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 16, 18 July 1936, Page 27

THE INTERNATIONAL EXPLOITS OF TEXAS JACK

Kirn-actor, soldier, railway worker, and tHief, are a few'of the roles filled by "Texas Jack,"; who ? at the start of the war in Abyssinia, journeyed'there and.pfEered his services to the Emperor . (says. the "Daily Express*). M'

After his return to England, "Texas Jack," whose real name is Alexander. Wardlaw, aged 33,? a native of Dunfermline, resorted to crime, arid his exploits ultimately landed him in the Old Bailey ■ dock, where ■ he.- was sentenced, to.two. years' imprisonment for shop-breaking and receiyingstplen property. According to'the prosecution, Wardlaw was. arrested after he had broken intojajhop,, and,was found to b.e, Wearni'gja:p^ir'"6f''cu'fElinK's which had' !\"-been?: stolen from;; Sir; VThomas BeecKam; the famous - musician. The accused; had the" proceeds : : ; 'of other: robberiesc^n jhis^ppssessipn^Kand - his rooms'in North.London' contained a considerable quantity.of loot. ■ ' The receipt for a safe deposit, rented! in the name of "Texas Jack,'? was a Clue which led to the*recovery of more stolen property, which the police identified as the proceeds of ten robberies. Wardlaw 'told the Court that when he, was going out to 'Abyssinia last August he stopped at^Marseilles, and it-was there he met Miss Lucy Thompson/an auburn-haired.beauty. , He met Miss Thompson again on his return to England, and was,waiting for her tp come out of a dancing-school when he ,was arrested. Miss Thompson gave him the cufl-links saying they belonged to her brother Jose, who was dead. She asked him to take care of all the other property. Detective-Sergeant A. Mcßain revealed that Wardlaw had five .convictions recorded against him. He was sentenced to 12 months'- hard labour at Bulawayp, South Africa, for housebreaking- and theft in April, 1929, and

in the same month he received' sentence of six months for breaking out of gaol. At St. Albans, in J;uly, 1931, he was sentenced to three months' hard labour ipr .being found on.enclosed premises. He was married" in South Africa1 and-divorced there' mi 1931. "

He married again in England in June, 1935. His wife, a wealthy woman, left hint a month later because he was always- demanding, money from her. Wardlaw joined the' Black Watch in' 1917, but was discharged for giving a false age. In 1919 he enlisted in the 2nd Dragoon . Guards . and was discharged in .the same year as being medically unfit.'! * "'■*?.■ ?-2' '■ /^'-i .

Australia, America; and Africa, the officer added, had been visited by Wardlaw. He-was deported^ from Dar-es-Salaam in 1927. Later he was employed by the Kenya-Uganda Railway and dismissed for ' insubordination. Then he was deported Irorii' Africa.

Since his return to England Wardlaw had been employed by various film companies. ' . ■"... ..

"He is regarded-by.us as an expert housebreaker," continued Sergeant McBain; "in as much as when his premises were visited we found six pairs of new chamois gloves; Hhe fingers of which were .Wack as "though ■ they, had been used in climbing stackp'ipes." ■" ' Passing serijehqe as" stated, Judge Dodson" told Wardlaw: "I am ript at all sure it is not. my : duty, to send you f to^penal servitude: The. amount of goods involved was something like £1170. ; • : :■-■'■■ ;■ .-.■-. •

"It is true that £1150 worth, as the result of i the energy and diligence of the police, has been recovered. It was not due to any goodness on your.'part." ; Wardlaw riiade' a slight bow. to the Judge, arid then went jauntily dpwn the steps of the dock to the cells.