HIS GREATEST ADVENTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22961, 12 February 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

HIS GREATEST ADVENTURE

Famous Detective's Retirement Recalls ONE of the most famous of Scotland Yard men said farewell lately to a service He has adorned for over a quarter of a century. Chief-Inspector " Bill " Barker has gone into retirement, and his passing from the " Yard " recalls the greatest adventure in his career—the capture of "Killer" Browne for the murder of Police-Constable Gutteridge.

IT whs in the early hours of the morning of September 27, 1927, that Police-constable Gutteridge, of the Essex Constabulary, was shot down in cold blood on the-lonely Ongar-Romford Road. From the very first day of their investigation the "Yard" officials had Frederick Guy Browne, a 47-year-old engineer, under suspicion. But they could find neither Browne nor his confederate, William Henry Kennedy, a 43-year-old salesman. Browiio had left Dartmoor only a short time before the murder after serving every day of four years, but lie did not report to the police. Browne seemed completely to have vanished. Then a London newspaper, News* of the World, took action, and from that moment started one of the most successful combinations of newspaper enterprise and crime investigation in history. The News of the World suggested to Chief Constable Wensley, who then commanded the C.1.D., that a reward might help the police. Mr, Wensley and tho Chief Constable of Essex agreed that it was a good suggestion.

round tho necks of Browne and Kennedy.

Some time later, following a conference with several chief constables, the News of the World paid the £2OOO reward to the Sheffield ex-convict. Ht» was given a fresh start in life for tho "tip" that brought the killers ot Gutteridge to the seaffold Now let "Bill" Barker tell his own story of the arrest of Browne, and other incidents associated with it.

"Every detective and every policeman was determined that the murderer of Gutteridge should bo brought to justice. But the weeks passed and there was no real clue.

"Then, as a direct result of tho newspaper's offer, information reached the "Yard" which led to the subsequent arrest of the two men. My part in the arrest of Browne has often been described, but never quite accurately. Drama of the Garage "Now that I am leaving Scothind Yard —and I am leaving -with real regret—l think the story can be told. 1 was a young officer, and with other officers we learned where Browne had a garage in Battersea. We were told he had to be taken. "We v.ere also told that Browne was a desperate killer who would not hesitate to shoot down half a dozen detectives at sight if he thought that would help him to escape. We anticipated a battle and we were issued with revolvers.

Reward Increased Immediately a campaign of publicity was started, which ultimately brought two ruthless; murderers to the scaffold. Week after week the News of the World offered to pay £IOOO as a reward for information which would lead to an arrest in the Gutteridgo case. There was no response, and, realising that the "Yard" were up against a blank

"Meantime we had scouts out watching for Browne to visit his garage. A telephone message came in on the night of January 20, 1928. "I remember that night very well, ft was raining heavily. Someone had taken my revolver, and I borrowed auothcr one. We knew that Mrs. Browne had been seen about the place, but

Wall, the newspaper, on January 15, 1928, increased the reward to £2OOO. Just about that time an ex-convict was living in the Sheffield district. He knew the secret of the Gutteridse murder, but was afraid to open his mouth.

so well were our men concealed that she did not suspect their presence. "Browne drove in about 7 p.m. I had made up my mind to take Browne alive, and without any shooting by him. So 1 waited until he walked into ail office behind his garage. "Then I rushed. His wife stood in front of Browne. I pushed her aside and grabbed his arms. "He fought, but powerful as he was, he could not shake me off before other officers had grabbed his wrists. Browne was raving mad, but he was too firmly held to have any chance of fighting it out. 1 knew it had to be a sudden rush or a shooting match. "My rush was successful, but still we were taking no chances, and another officer pushed his gun into Browne's stomach, and said: 'One sign of escape and I'll blow your brains out.'

He knew that Guy Browne was a relentless man when out for revenge. He was with Browne in a motor accident, and was also with both Browne and Kennedy in stoleu cars. Stumbled Across Secret The ex-convict stumbled across the secret of the slayers in a curious manner. Once when the three men were together—that is. the ex-convict, Browne, and Kennedy—Kennedy was asked if he was not afraid of being stopped in a stolen car. Browne unwittingly remarked: ' Since tvo did in Gutteridge the police will hesitate to stop a motorist, and I ni ready for them." Then there was another occasion—a burglary exploit—when an automatic pistol was found Browne gave a nervous start, and said. "Don't let Kennedy see that, ion know what a vicious blighter he is, and we don't want an.v shooting out of eves to-night." Those were carclfcsslyBpoken words, but they put the noose

"It did not seem funny at the time, but afterwards, when we realised that a gun pointed at Browne's stomach was going 'to blow his brains out.' we had to laugh. "As it happened. Browne was unarmed at the moment, but that was only because his two guns were in his car.

"Pulled a Gun" "1 am certain that Browne had made up his mind not to be taken alive, and that we were luckv in catching him at the moment —perhaps the first lor months —when his guns were out of reach. "He had cartridges in his pockets, and his two guns were placed in his car so that, whether he was in the driving seat or at the back, one was within easy reach.

"That is the story of Browne's capture. Other officers had an equally dangerous task in arresting Kennedy, Browne's accomplice.

"In fnct, Kennedy did pull a gun arid stuck it into an officer's ribs. He

pulled the trigger, but 'had forgotten to release the safety-catch. Otherwise a second murder would have been laid at Kennedy's door." Chief-inspector Barker had for a few months before his retirement been chief of staff to Superintendent Askew, senior superintendent of the "Big Five." One of Inspector Barker's earliest jobs was in the Criminal Records office, where he pained fame for his methodical classification of crime. Later, he played a leading part in the "Yard's" war on drug tralfickersi. His last big case was the investigation of the murder at Leighton Buzzard, following the fjnding of the strangled body of a 23-year-old factory girl, Ruby Annie Keen, on a footpath known locally as The Firs.

Her clothing had been torn, and a black and white spotted silk scarf was tied tightly round her neck. Last Case

Inspector Barker eventually arrested a local sandspit worker, Leslie George Stone, and charged him with the murder.

Stone was convicted and hanged. The ease was a triumph for the combination of scientific methods and detective work.

A few grains of sand, adhering to the knees of a new suit owned by Stone led to his eventual undoing.

During that investigation Inspector Barker had to carry out one interview in harrowing circumstances. While he was interviewing a suspect a lad was dying in the next room, but duty had to be done.

Another of Chief-inspector Barker's successes was tho patient investigation of the Stepney Borough Council safe mvsterv. He succeeded in recovering several thousands of pounds which had been stolen.