EX-SOLDIERS FALL

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 84, 7 February 1928, Page 2

EX-SOLDIERS FALL

WRA LT'JI TO TI {lO ASO N,

JUDGE PRAISES INFORMANT.

LONDON", January 20.

Tlie Chief Justice (Lord Hewart) paid a tribute to Mr Monkland, the Lloyd's underwriter who was responsible for th© arrects of Thomias McCartney and George Hansen, in the espionage case, at the Central Criminal Court, when counsel appeared to rebut the oharge s against Thomas M cCartney.

He Kind it was a thousand pities if his business or social career suffered by the service he had done to the country. The charges against him of gambling and associating witii undesirables were untrue." Lord Hewart said that Monkland should not suffer in the slightest. The only mischief McCartney could have done him was to have praised him. McCartney's career is the extraordinary story of a man's gradual descent from great prospects,, until it culminated in. treason. He wa s associated with a gang off crooks, including George McCraig, whom* the British police; know as the "King of Cat Burglars." He is the sou of a Fifeshirei contracting engineer, who wa s in a. big way of l business. At the outbreak of the war he was onry 10, but he enlisted and gained a commission at 17. He was wounded, and invalided from the army on account of his youth. He re-enlisted later, and gained a commission. His father built the Malta tramways, of which he held a, third share. McCartney went to Malta when his father died, and took over his property, which was worth £60,000 He sold it for £30,000, and lived luxuriously and extravagantly in the West End of London. He was al charming monocled host, squandered his money, and became tlie McCraig gang's "mug." Twice fie secured acquittals ior members of the gang by poising before the juries a s a rdr spectable and impartial citizen. ;