THE GAY ADVENTURERS

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19639, 27 July 1935, Page 5

THE GAY ADVENTURERS

By Capt. E. C. Cox

A Thrilling Story of Mystery and Adventure

» CHAPTER VIII. — (Continued.)

"And It was only yesterday that he wangled the necklace from me,” said Sally with a merry laugh. “Retribution wasn’t long coming.” • “Now for the flat, old dear, and a quick change. Then a nice little dinner is Indicated. It’s not so very late.' That was a non-stop show.” They had a table to themselves at the Majestic in Piccadilly, and Bingo insisted that nothing but a bottle of the best would be good enough after so wild an adventure. The waiter who attended them was of the loquacious . variety, and introduced each course with an insinuating remark dh the food or the talk of the day. “D'you hear that, sir?” he said as the dessert appeared on the table. "Extra special! Pipers, evening pipers I Arrest of Joseph dickering!” “Get me one, sharp!" said Bingo; and the waiter quickly complied. In the stop-press column was a brief paragraph in heavy type. “The notorious Joseph Pickering arrested in Essex Street, near the Marble Arch, and lodged in police custody. Further details not available as we go to press.” v - . “By Jove!” said Bingo. “That’s interesting. I • wonder how they got him!” “Lord Repton would jump up if he saw that, sir," said the waiter. “He’s dining here to-night, at the other end of the room.” ■Bingo stood up. “Which, is he?” he asked. .

(Author of "Achievements of John Carruthers,” eto., eto.)

“That’s him, sir, with the lady in green at the corner table,” Bingo picked his way through the arrav of tables and the throng of bustling waiters. With a sracefu bow and a bright smile, 1 think you would like to see this, Lord Repton, he said. “I know you from your pictures in the papers. So they ve got that infernal Pickering at last. “Gracious heavens! t ejaculated the Home Secretary. That s good news indeed. Thank you very much for letting me know.” “Another score for. the police, said Bingo. “They always come .out top in the end.” ... . And he and Sally had something to laugh about as they drove home.

CHAPTER IX. The next day the morning papers came out with sensational headlines in the largest type — REPORTED ARREST OF JOSEPH PICKERING. CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS. ' MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS. ANOTHER PICKERING OUTRAGE. “The difficulties experienced in attempting to arrive at the actual facts in connection with the mysterious happenings of yesterday evening,’ said the Daily Sentinel, ’ “are unparalleled. -An evening journal an-

flounced in a special extra edition that j the notorious Joseph Pickering, who j escaped from Porchester prison, had been arrested by the police. No de-1 tails were given. The information was apparently based upon reliable information. A •constable named Edward Johnson reported to Inspector Hamilton at the Marble Arch police station that when passing through Essex Street on beat duty he’heard a loud shout in the shop of a jeweller named Derbyshire, and thinking that some breach of the law might be taking place he entered the shop. To his surprise he found a police sergeant standing over the jeweller, who had been handcuffed. After a word or two of greeting the sergeant showed the constable warrant, signed »by the Home Secretary, directing him, Sergeant Jenkins, of the special Home Office police, to arrest Derbyshire on several charges, one, of being Joseph Pickering, the escaped convict; two, of conspiracy against His Majesty’s Government in collusion with certain Moscow Bolshevists; three, of being in unlawful possession of a diamond necklace, the property of the Princess Sophia Elizabeth of the late Czar’s family. The sergeant showed, Johnson the necklace, which Derbyshire had locked up in his safe. Johnson asked the sergeant if he wanted any assistance, but the offer was declined, and the sergeant went off with his prisoner in . a car driven toy a police-woman whom he directed to proceed to Vine Street police station. The constable's narration was straightforward and circumstantial, and there was nothing to cast any suspicion upon its veracity. The police on duty at the Marble Arch were naturally very elated at the welcome news of the arrest of Pickering. It .further appears that a young journalist connected witff an evening paper was in the Marble Arch police station when Johnson made his report, and he instantly communicated the startling information to his news editor. He reckoned it a first-class scoop. i “So far so good, but the most amazing developments were to follow. Lord Rep ton, the Home Secretary, happened to be dining at the Majestic, in Piccadilly, and there another diner showed him the paragraph in the paper announcing Pickering’s arrest. Lord Repton, who for a long time had been gravely disconcerted at the failure of, the police to apprehend Pickering,' congratulated himself on this ultimate success; and he telephoned to Scotland Yard to ask for particulars. To hi« intense surprise the Yard replied that they knew nothing about the matter. No prisoner had been brought to Vine Street. Telephone messages were then sent to every'police station in London, with the result that Marble Aroh reported in detail all that had there .transpired, referring, of course, to the warrant signed by the Home Secretary himself directing Sergeant Jenkins, of the Home Office, police, to make the arrest. The Home Secretary realised at once that some gross outrage had been perpetrated. He had signed no siuch warrant, and there was no Sergeant Jenkins in the small Home Office special police establishment. He at once telephoned to 'Colonel Chester, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, informing him of what had happened, and requesting him to meet him without, delay at the Home, Office. Colonel Chester, after a brief consultation with Lord Repton, proceeded post haste to the Marble Arch police station, accompanied by Detective Inspector Paul Brydon, of Scotland Yard. . Constable Johnson, who was off duty, had already.been recalled. Colonel Chester, with Inspectors Brydon and Hamilton, and Constable Jphnson, then visited, the jeweller's shop in Essex Street. ,Tho jeweller was not to be found on the premises. The safe was open and empty, but there was no sign of any interference with the valuable articles of jewellery exhibited in the glass cases. On the floor they found the warrant. The Sootland Yard officers recognised at a glance that warrants in this peculiar form .were not|in use by any branch of the Metropolitan police. It was obviously a faked document. And yet Lord Repton’s signature was plain enough. He would have taken It for his own. It was all extremely baffling. The one person, excepting the perpetrators of the outrage, who oould throw any light on the enigma was the jeweller Derbyshire, and of his whereabouts there was no knowledge. Instructions were sent by telephone to all police stations In the metropolitan area to look out for a man got up as a police sergeant and a woman wearing a police-woman’s uniform, and If found to arrest them; also to bring to Marble Arch station, if they could find him, the jeweller named Derbyshire, who had been abducted, by the above two persons. An officer remained in the shop to await developments. “They had not long to wait. A most extraordinary report was received from Hampstead. A constable patrolling near Spaniards’ Avenue met, as he first thought, a sergeant of police. But the man was shambling along not walking In the least like a police officer. Moreover, he was holding his hands behind him, which was not a customary proceeding with the police. The constable’s heart gave a bound. Here was the man who was wanted. This would mean promotion. He halted, and asked this curious figure'who he was. The reply was almost unintelligible. The man was gibbering with terror. But he turned round, and the constable, to his astonishment, saw that his hands were handcuffed behind ills back. This •could not, after all, he the criminal who was to.be arrested. Whoever heard of a criminal walking about with his hands in handcuffs? Whatever this spectacular apparition might signify, there was only one thing to be done —to march him off to the Hampstead police station, and in doing this lie lost no time, lie could not himself undo llic handcuffs. He was not provided with a key. "The Hampstead inspector, when he saw litis quainl-looking individual, realised (hat whoever he was lie was terror-stricken. lie released him from llie handcuffs and bade him sitdown and have a cup of lea, and explain the plight lie was In. The man’s teeth were chattering and his speech incoherrent. But lie did manage to convey that his name was Derbyshire, a jeweller, of Essex Street. The complication was beyond the inspector. His orders were to arrest man got up as a police sergeant, and to take to the Marble Arch station a jeweller named Derbyshire. Bui hero was a man got up as police sergeant, but who was found handcuffed, and who said lie was Derbyshire! It was past all understanding. However, lie telephoned to Marble Arch, and was directed to bring the man aL once, whether lie was llio criminal or his victim. So Hie jeweller was conveyed to his own shop, which lie found in possession of tire police. He was still wearing the sergeant's J uniform. j (To - be continued.) i