In Sanctuary.

NZ Truth, Issue 120, 5 October 1907, Page 8

In Sanctuary.

In 'UohtTott it' Is eistinia't'ea that thirty t© forty thousand people disappear every year. It is surprising to think that so many men and women saeuld be lost,' even m such a mighty place as the Metropolis. And there is no doubt that the. most of these missing ones have hidden themselves of their own free will, the reasons for doing so being only known to themselves, and, m some cases, the police. In bygone days people who were ''wanted" generally fled the country to find refuge m a foreign land. It is not so nowadays. For the wily criminal knows full well that the knowledge of his flight has been voiced abroad by means of telegraph and telephone, and consequently every outward boat will be closely watched. So he makes for London*, and if once he gets there he can snap his fingers at the police. If the criminal lives m London, all he has to do is to shift into another locality. Take, for instance, the wife deserters m London, and there are thousands of them, as anyone can see by reading the newspapers, and studying the lists on vestry doors and other places. How very rarely is one of them discovered. By simply transferring himself fiom the north to the south side of the Thames, or vice versa, a man may hide himself as securely from all his relations and friends as if he had settled down on SOME SOUTH SEA' ISLAND. A few months ago a man who was engaged m the same office as the writer disappeared with a young lady worth £50,000, leaving behind him a wife and three young children. It is not likely that he is far away, but up till now he has remained undiscovered, and there is not the slightest clue which would enable justice to deal with this heartless wretch. For the man who is trying to dodge his creditors, or has done something which makes him ashamed to meet his friends or acquaintances, the great city affords a haven of refuge. Should he by chance run across one who recognises him, it is a very simple matter to escape from sight amongst the crowd. In a small town, if he were recognised, he would have to clear out at once. But m London, everything seems to facilitate escape. Cabs, whether hansoms, "growlers," or "taxi-cabs," are always at hand. Tramways and motor 'buses and an absolute maze of railways and "twopenny tubes" all offer sure means of escaping to the fugitive. Look at the number of THEFTS, MURDERS. AND OTHER CRIMES which are . committed m London, and the perpetrators of which arc never brought to justice. For a time the criminal lies low until the ardor of the police has cooled, and then he is out and about again. There are many Anarchists m London, though it must be admitted that the police keep a watchful eye- on the leading ones at least, but it is impossible to look after all these characters. There is not the slightest doubt but that the plot to murder the King and Queen of Spain was hatched at Hamstead Heath. The plotters also frequented houses m Hamstead-road. By different routes the conspirators reached Heath, and there, unmolested and without interference, they discussed their nefarious plans. A little knot of men at Hamstead—especially on Sunday morning— would give rise to no suspicion, owing to the number of people who usually take a morning stroll there. Foreign criminals, Armenian revolutionaries, and Russian refugees find London their one and only safe hiding place. In East London you will see hundreds of poor Russians who have been outlawed by a tyrannous and despotic Government. They walk about with furtive, watchful looks upon their faces. They arc suspicious of the stranger who would like, to talk to them. May he not be some police spy on the look-out for his prey ? But, though they are fearful at times, they knew that they are about as safe as it is possible to be. They are • m a free country, m the greatest city on earth— the hiding-place of the world, j