AMAZING STORY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 9

AMAZING STORY

MAN’S UNDERWORLD LIFE. RUFFIAN WHO LOVED CHILDREN. evidence of a dead man’s career and character was given at at. • inquest at Woking. Surrey. Tho man, George Rowsell, 50, a London street trader, was found dead by the police with a, bullet wound in his head near the week-end bungalow which he owned at. Ripley.

■ .Just, outside the bungalow the police discovered Kathleen Forkin, 18. a. pretty Irish waitress, of Elision Crescent, London, critically ill with bullet,'wounds in her hand and jaw.

Inquiries in London by the Surrey poli(To, under Superintendent White, of Woking, showed that Rowsell was well-known to the underworld as a man who had made a considerable amount ol money in some questionable Way.

in Ripley, where he spent a good deal of his time, stories are told of his violent temper. “More than once,” a. resident said. “Rowsell lias pulled a gun irom his pocket when he was being worsted in yn argument, and. brandishing it. has said; ‘See that! There are two bullets there—one lor you and one for me!’ I “Because of Ids temper we all kept pretty clear ol him. We suspected that he was mixed up in some shady business in London, and lie had no 1 real friends here, although he had been corning to Ripley for five years.” j There was, however, another side L> Rowsr-H’s character. Among the children of Ripley lie was known as i “l uclc George.” and more than one child can tell stories of his generosity

5 with sweets. | Aiiss Forkin, who was dangerously j ill in Guildford Hospital, was able to ■ tell the police a dramatic story of the shooting. She went to Ripley, 1 she stated, to see Rowsell’s bungalow. . Once there lie began to drink liea --

Victim’s Dramatic Story

“As time went on, Rowsell kepi delaying our departure,’’ Aliss Forkin wont on. "At last 1 put my coat on. By this time he was hopelessly drunk, time, lie was hopelessly drunk.

He brought uiir a revolver. I

• made ior the door. lie got. in my j way. I put my hands to my face. I There was a shot, and X had a queer feeling in my jaw. Blindly. I tried ■t) relea.se- flu* catch of the door. I. j felt my last hour had come. I covered my face with my hands again, j There was another shot. A bullet I went into my hand. J undid the latch J l ant ion lly. The next t hing I remem- , her is collapsing at a house nearby.”

White Slave Traffic.

Soon after .Miss Forkin told this story the police made what seemed at first to In* a sensational discovery. This was an address in Xevnhnm Terrace. Lamhe-h. which was being used as a secret retreat for a- young French girl who was maid to Susan Bertram!, the woman arrested in Baris in connection with 4k- murder of, “Red” Alax Kassel. ft seemed the detectives as though iho affair ai Ripley was linkid up witXi the Kassel crime; Scotland Yard men were asked to assist, but it. was soon discovered that although Rowsell certainly knew many people engaged in the white slave traffic, his death had no connection with Kassel’s murder. Rowsolt, who was very well off, employed a number of men as costermongers. and at one time worked a stall himself.