KENT COAST PIRACY

Evening Star, Issue 18021, 15 July 1922, Page 12

KENT COAST PIRACY

NIGHT FIGHTING ON THE BEACH. A Channel mystery—the finding of an empty boat a milo out at sea off Kingsdown—was one of tho phases of the motor and rowing boat stealing mania along tho Kent coast from tho North Foreland to Folkstono a few weeks ago. Hero are a few incidents in tho programme of a gang or gangs of boat thieves Motor and rowing boats stolen from their moorings at Deal, D yin church, and other places by ex-service men who wished to cross tho Channel to find work in Franco. Two such voyagers rescued in midChannel in an exhausted condition, boat sinking. Fight with boat-owner at Margaret’s Bay, Thieves beaten off until a boat-hook. Boat stolen at Kingsdown, and found adrift, Ono Saturday evening two smartlydressed young men were seen at St. Margaret's Bay trying to launch a motor boat. The owner appeared, and after a hard fight he drove off the thieves with a boat-hook. The same adventurous pair then turned burglars, slept the night in the best bedroom of a private residence on the cliffs (tho owner and servants being away), ate and drank stole an 0.8.8. medal and other articles, and got away next day to Kingsdown. There a motor boat belonging to Mr Frank Arnold was found by a cargo boat a mile out at sea, with no occupants, but with indications that it had Just been occupied. Tho affair was a mystery. At Dymchnrch Frederick Downing, of Smethwick, was sentenced to a month’s hard labor for stealing a motorboat valued at £IBO. Peter Holden, of Rochdale, was bound over for twelve months. Mr Henley, the owner, said tiro boat had no mainsail and no starting handle for the engine, and the bung was out. The thieves got away by rowing, but' the coastguards rescued them. They said they were off to France to find work.