WIFE AS A HOSTAGE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 May 1925, Page 7

WIFE AS A HOSTAGE.

GUN-RUNNER AND THE RIFFS

DUPED 13Y CONFEDERATE.

How ;i daring English gun-runner had to leave his wife as a hostage with Abdel Krim, the I!iff leader, owing to his confederate’s attempt to dupe the Riffs with forged bank notes, has been revealed. J.t is necessary to recall that the Spaniards recently discovered a chest drifting in the Mediterranean, containJtiffian bank notes, which had been printed by a reputable London firm. The Spaniards handed the notes to Scotland Yard for inquiries. Shortly afterwards an ex-member of the Air Force called on a director of an aeroplane company to negotiate for the purchase of a fast two-seater aeroplane. He admitted that he had been offered £IO.OOO to bring Abd el Krim to London for the purpose of negotiating peace with Spain. A detective, who was shadowing the Air Force man. then appeared and said: "I know that you for a long time have been gun-running for the Riffs. 1 want to know the name ol your confederate.”

The airman replied: “Well, lie lias double-crossed me, so I don’t mind saying that he is a prominent shipowner. Tins shipowner, not content with profitable running arms from Franco to Morocco, went to a London firm of printers with faked credentials, pretending that he represented the .ttfffian Treasury, and induced them to print thousands of pounds’ worth of supposed Riff ian bank notes. “The shipowner passed a hundred of them on the Continent as payment for arms and munitions. Then he grew bolder, and. during a trip to Morocco unknown to me, he duped the Riffs themselves.

“After I had smuggled the next cargo through the Spanish lines, assisted by m.v wife, who is of an adventurous spirit I asked Krim: ‘What’s the next order?’ He said: ‘I want army blankets.’ I said: ‘Righto, where’s the money?’ “Krim showed me the faked hank notes, and also pointed to a pile of dud rifles, saying: ‘That is a sample of vour friend’s' honesty. Produce the blankets first, and you’ll get the money afterwards.’ I replied : ‘That’s impossible, okl man.’ “I nearly fell flat when Krim said : ‘Well, leave your wife as a hostage!’ However, my "wife, in a sporting spirit, agreed, and she remained in Krim’s camp while I went to Gibraltar. I obtained the blankets, which I successfully landed in a Moroccan cove, in sight of a Spanish patrol boat. I found that my wife had been well treated. “Subsequently I met the shipowner in London. Ho explained that he had abandoned gun-running. He only just escaped from the Riffs with his life, he said. Then the private yacht, showing Spanish lights, in which he was escaping, was pursued by a Spanish gunboat, and. fearing capture, he threw overboard the case containing the remainder of the notes.” It is stated that the police will be unable to prosecute either the airman or the shipowner, because they did not purchase the guns in England. Nevertheless, it is expected that the shipowner will have to stand h>s trial on another charge.