WIFE AS HOSTAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 141, 19 May 1925, Page 12

WIFE AS HOSTAGE

ENGLISH GUN-RUNNER AND RIFFS.

DOUBLE-CROSSED BY CONFEDERATE.

LONDON, April 23. llow a daring English gun-runner had to leate his wife as a hostage with Abdel Krim, the Riff leader, owing to his confederate’s attempt to dupe the Riffs with forged bank notes, is now revealed. It is necessary to recall that the Spaniards recently discovered a chest containing bank notes, which had been printed by a reputable London firm. The Spaniards handed the notes over to Scotland Yard lor inquiries.

Slior ;ly afterwards an ex-member of the Air Fcrce called on a director of an aeroplane company to negotiate for tho purchase of a fast two-seater aeroplane. lie admitted that he had been offered JCIO.OOC to bring Abdel Krim to London for the purpose of negotiating peace with Spain. , ■ . A detective, who was shadowing the Air Force man, then appeared and said: “1 know that you for a long time have been gun-running for the Riffs. I want to know the name of your confederate.” The airman replied: “Well, ho lias double-crossed me, so I don’t mind saying thut ho ie u prominent shipowner. This shipowner, not content with profitably running arms from France to Morocco, went to u London firm of printers with faked credentials, pretending that he represent ;d the Riflian Treasury, and induced hem to print thousands of pounds’ worth of supposed Rilliun bank notes. “The shipowner passed a hundred of them on the Continent as payment for arms and ammunition. Then ho grew bolder, and during a trip to Morocco, unknown to me, he duped the Riff 3 themselves.

“After 1 had smuggled the next cargo tlirougl the Spanish lines, assisted by mv wife, who is of an adventurous spirit, I asked Krim ‘What’fi tho next order?’ lie said: '1 want army blankets.’ I said ‘Righto, where’s tho money?’ “Krim showed rne the faked banknotes and also pointed tc a pile of dud rifles, saying: ‘That is a sample of your friend’s honesty. Produce Ihe blankets first, and you’ll get the money afterwards ’ I replied, ‘That’s impossible, old man.’ “I nearly fell flat when Krim said, ‘Well, leave your wife as a hostage!’ SPORTING SPIRIT. “How ever, 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. 1 found that my wife had been well treated,

“Subsequently I met the shipow-ner in London. lie explained that he had aban doned gun-running. He only just escaped from the Riffs with his life, he said. Then the private yacht, showing Spanish identification lights, in which he was escaping, was pursued by a Spanish gun-boat, and, fearing capture, he threw overboard tho case containing the remainder of the notes.”

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 his trial on another charge.