STRANGE STORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24709, 8 October 1943, Page 2

STRANGE STORY

ALLEGED SPY WORK CLAIM TO BE "CALDF.Ft" SECRET SERVICE ASSIGNMENT (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday A strange tale of counter-espionage work and alleged attempts on his lift' was told by Sydney Gordon Ross, who appeared before Mr. Ev C. Levvoy, S.M., on charges of escaping from the T'nparua prison, being an incorrigible rogue and with the unlawful conversion of a bicycle. The charge of escaping from goal was withdrawn and Ross, who pleaded guilty to the other two charges, was sentenced to nine months' hard labour, the sentence to start at the expiration of the sentence he is serving.

Sub-Inspector MacNamara said that Ross, who was 33 years of age, was at present serving a sentence of two and a-half years' hard labour. At 8.30 p.m. on September 30 he had escaped from the Paparua prison and on his way into the city had unlawfully converted a bicycle. The following morning at 2.20 Ross had called at the watch-house and given himself up. Position as Enemy Agent "I will tell you why I escaped," said Ross when asked if he bad anything to say. "The story goes back about 18 months now, just after America had come into the war. New Zealand had very little equipment in the country and there was about £500,000 of Japanese money distributed throughout New Zealand. 1 was ill at the time and was offered a position as a Japanese agent, but this got to the right quarters, the New Zealand Secret Service, so-called, and they practically went down on their bended knees asking me to work for them." The Magistrate: Are you the man who was living at Rotorua on the best of everything? Ross: Yes. The Magistrate: You ask me to swallow this? "They asked me to take the rank of captain. ] could not he any higher as the man in charge was a major," continued Ross. "I was given unlimited power and money, the Navy, Air Force and Army being placed at my disposal. It sounds foolish here, I" know, but it is correct. New Zealand Quislings "My first job was with New Zealand Quislings or Fifth Columnists, as they are called. The first thing 1 discovered was that I could trust very few of my colleagues and the seoond was the rather big names in this thing, New Zealand's untouchables. Anyhow, the Japanese suffered one or two reverses and the untouchables discovered that they would not have to sell out and that they could go back to their old way of living. "I worked as Captain Calder for four months and a-half and in that time gave as many shocks as I received. When the untouchables realised that they could go back to their normal mode of living. Calder was not wanted and had to be disposed of. "Several newspapers stated that Captain Calder had robbed the Government of thousands of pounds and one weekly asked why action had not been taken. Also, several members of Parliament asked for information about it, but all they got was stony silence." Alleged Attempts on Life

After saying that he had come to Christchurch and enlisted in the Army as a private, Ross said that an attempt had been made on his life, two bones in his back being broken, necessitating some two months in hospital. "ft is surprising the number of sums of money offered to me to sell information or to keep silent, but I refused, as ] was finished and had had enough." said Ross. "Later an exceptionally large sum was offered me, but 1 also refused to take it. The department apparently thought I had been offered a larger sum." Ross also alleged that some time later shots had been fired again at him in Christchurch and that two bullets had gone through his clothing. "Shortly afterward I was arrested in Christchurch on three petty charges. 1 do not want you to think I am taking n punch at the police," continued Ross, "as I am referring to people higher up. I know that I am not doing myself any good, but I say now that each charge was a dirty frame-up."

Ross said that he served a term in prison and then received a letter from one of the persons involved in "this affair." He then told how he had broken away from prison, arriving in Christchurch at 11.15 p.m. on a futile search of the man who had written the letter.

RUN OVER BY TRAM ELDERLY MAN KILLED NOTE REQUESTING CREMATION (P.A.) CHRISTCHFRCH, Thursday An elderly man was killed in Cathedral Square last evening when he was run over by a tram which was leaving a safety zone. He was Mr. Alfred Kent, of 43 Conference Street, Christ church. The tram was leaving the safety zone when the motorman noticed the drag of some obstacle under the car. He stopped the tram after it had moved only 3yds., and Mr. Kent's body was found lying across the track under the rear bogie. Mow the accident happened remains more or less of a mystery, as no one saw the man near the tram before it moved off. There were three women on the safety zone at the time, but none of them noticed anything untoward, this suggesting that the man may have been under the tram before it started. Had he been in front of the tram, his body would have been carried along by the catcher. Mr. Kent was found to have about £6O in his posssession. He left a note in which he asked that his body be cremated. MINER INJURED (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday As a result of an accident at the Glen Afton colliery to-day, Mr. William Whitelaw, aged 30, a miner, of Hakanoa Street, Huntly, suffered multiple abrasions on his head and shoulders. He was admitted to the Waikato Hospital. His condition is not serious. SCHOOLBOY HURT When he ran oil' the pavement into a City Council truck yesterday afternoon, a schoolboy, Malcolm Clarence Simpson, aged 10, a son of Mr. C. Simpson, of 14 Tirotai Crescent, Westmere, suiFered concussion and lacerations to the scalp. His condition at the Auckland Hospital la.st night was fairly serious. FOUND UNCONSCIOUS Found unconscious in Alfriston yesterday morning, a Maori truck driver. Thomas Davis, married, aged 19, of Grey's Avenue. City, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. He had apparently fallen from the milk lorry he was driving. His condition last night was not serious. FRACTURED SPINE (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday A fracture of the spine was suffered by Mrs, Tsobel Hanson, aged 60, of Kiokio, Otorohanga, when she fell from a window at her home to-day. She was admitted to the Waikato Hospital and her condition is fairly serious.