Riddle Of Missing Families: Police Methods Outmoded?

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22887, 5 March 1949, Page 7

Riddle Of Missing Families: Police Methods Outmoded?

;(10 a.m.) , LONDON, Mar. 4. Scotland Yard chiefs are conferring on whether the revelations in the quest for the acid murderer have not disclosed that the police routine crime detection machinery is outmoded, says the Daily Mail. Among the questions asked are:

J How can a man keep so many murders secret in these days of registration books, ration cards, taxation and other form-filling required of ‘all citizens? Further, how did the taxation authorities fail to notice that the well-to-do Dr. Archibald Henderson was no longer paying dues, why Mr. Donald McSwan was not providing details of his Stock Exchange transactions and why the milkman and baker failed to notify the Food Office officials of the 'removal of the Hendersons and McSwans from their addresses and their failure to reappear elsewhere. Friends of the Hendersons

More important, why did Scotland Yard and the provincial police lose complete touch with the plausible voung man who came into the life of

the Hendersons as a mutual friend.

The police knew him well in 1932 when he punched the “electric newspaper,” whereby news flashes were projected on the dome of a provincial cinema.

When the venture failed he resorted

to fraud. He faked hire purchase agreements for motor cars, on which he obtained commission until he was convicted and sentenced to 18 months. After release he' was befriended by a lawyer who found him a job. but he lost it after defrauding fellow employees.

He then for a time lived expensively and drove a sports car, but no one knew the source of his money. In 1935-36 he set himself up as an underwriter and transacted deals, representing £50.000.

Later, he falsely represented himself as a solicitor at Guildford.’ Someone noticed that in his professional letters he consistently omitted the letter “d” in the word Guildford. This led to suspicion and inquiry resulted in a sentence of three years. Watched by the Police

The police forgot him when he went to prison, but not long ago a police inspector saw him in an hotel lounge and installed a detective in. the hotel as a guest to watch the plausible young man.

It was learned that the young man had been a mutual friend of the Hendersons and was handling their affairs following their sudden decision to go to South Africa. The mutual friend was also in contact

with the worried and puzzled Mr. Arn- \ old Burlin, the hotelkeeper brother of Mrs. Henderson. Mr. Burlin knew the Hendersons were on the point of divorcing and could not understand their decision to go to South Africa because of financial trouble.

Mr. Burlin believed the Hendersons had some thousands of sterling but he was not sure and for fear that financial irregularities might lead to police trouble for his sister, he did not report the couple’s disappearance. Mr. Burlin has recalled that more than once after having told the mutual friend by telephone of his anxiety, he had next day received a letter from his sister telling him not to worry. The letters bore the postmarks of various places. Mr. Burlin continued to worry and a fortnight ago told the mutual friend he had almost decided to tell the police. The mutual friend counselled: “Be sure to come and see me first.”