THE "SECRET SERVICE" RACKET

Evening Star, Issue 24990, 8 October 1943, Page 2

THE "SECRET SERVICE" RACKET

"TALL" STORY OF COUNTERESPIONAGE " ALIAS SHOULD BE MUNCHAUSEN " (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 7. A strange tale of counter-espion-age work and alleged attempts on his life was told by Sydney Gordon Ross, who appeared before Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day on charges of escaping from the Paparua prison, of being an incorrigible rogue in that he escaped from the Paparua prison, and of the unlawful conversion of a bicycle valued at £5, the property of John Edward Bennett. The charge of escaping from gaol was withdrawn, and Ross, who pleaded guilty to the other two charges, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment with hard labour, the sentence to start at the expiration of the sentence he is serving. Sub-inspector Macnamura said that Ross, who was 33 years of age,, was at present serving a sentenco of two and a-half years' hard labour. At 8.30 p.m. on September 30 he had escaped from the Paparua prison, and on hia way into the city had unlawfully converted a bicycle. Tho following morning at 2.20 Ross had called at the watchhouse ami given himself .up. AFTER DOMINION QUISLINGS. " I will tell you why I escaped," said Ross when he was asked if he had anything .to say. "The story goes back about 18 months now, just after America had comeanto the war. New Zealand had very little equipment in the country, and there was about £500,000 of Japanese money distributed throughout New Zealand. I was ill at the time and was offered a position as a Japanese agent, but this got to the right quarters, the New Zealand secret service, so called, and they practically went down on their bended knees asking me to work for them." The Magistrate: Are you the man who was living at Rotorua on the best of everything? Ross: Yes. The Magistrate: You ask me to swallow this? " They asked me to take the rank of captain. I could not be any higher, as the man in charge was a major," Ross continued. " I was given unlimited power and money, the navy, the air force, and the army being placed at my disposal. It sounds foolish here, I know, but it is correct. " My 'first job was with the New Zealand quislings, or ' fifth columnists ' as they are called. The first thing I discovered was that 1 could trust very few of my colleagues, and the second the rather big names in this thing—New Zealand's untouchables. Anyhow, the Japaneso suffered one or two reverses, and tho untouchables discovered that they would not have to sell out and that they could go back to their old way of living. 1 worked as ' Captain Calder' for four months and a-half, and in that time gave as many shocks as I received. When the untouchables realised that they could go back to their normal mode of living 'Captain Calder ' was not wanted, and had to bo disposed of. " Several newspapers stated that 'Captain Calder' had robbed the Government of thousands of-pounds, and in a weekly, I think, it was^' asked why action had not been taken. Several members of Parliament asked for information about it, but all they got was stony silence."