SCOTLAND TARD IS INTROSPECTIVE

Chronicle (Levin), 5 March 1949, Page 5

SCOTLAND TARD IS INTROSPECTIVE

Received Friday:, 7 p.m. LONDON, Mareh 4. Scotland Vard chiefs are conferring on whether the revelations in the quest for the acid murderer, have not diselosed that poiice routine crime detection machinery is outmoded, says tht Daily Mail. Among questions asked is how ean a man keep so many murders secret in these days of registration books, ration eards, taxation and other formfilling required of all citizens? Further, 1 how did the taxation authorities fail to notice that well-to-do Dr. Archibaid Henderson was no longer paying duest Why Mr. Donald McSwan was not providing details of his stock exchange. transactions? Why the milkman and baler failed to notify the Food Offi.ce officials of the removal of the Hender sons and McSwans from their addresses and their failure to -re-appear elsewhereS Poiice Knew Him Well More important, why did Scotland. Yard and the provincial poiice lose com plete touch with Ihe plausible young nian who came into the life of the Hendersons as a mutual friend i The poiice knew him well in 1932 when he launehed an "electric newspaper" whereby newsflashes were projected on the dome of a provincial cinema. Wher. the venture failed he resorted to frauo. He faked hire purchase agreements for motor cars whereon he obtained a commission, until convicted and sentenced to eighteen months. After release he was befriended by a lawver who found • him a job but he lost it after defraud1 ing fellow empployees. He then, for a ' time, lived expensively and drove a sports car but no one knew the souree of his money. In 1935-36 he set him self up a-s an underwriter and transact ed deals in mills represented £50,000. Later he falsely represented himself as a solicitor at Guildford. Someone notieed that in his professional letters he consistently omitted the letter D in the word Guildford. This led to suspicion and inquiry resulting in a sentence of three years. Worried Relative The poiice forgot him when he went to prison but not long ago a poiice inspector saw him in an hotel lounge and installed a deteetive in the hotei as a guest to watch the plausible young man. It was learned the young man had been a mutual friend of the Hendersons and was handimg their affairs following their sudden decision to go to South Africa. The mutual friend was also in contact with the worried and puzzled Arnold Burlin, hotelkeeper, brother of Mrs. Henderson. Burlin knew the Hendersons were on the point of divorcing and could not understand their decision to go to South Africa because -of linancial trouble. Burlin' believed the Hendersons had some thousands sterling but he was not sure and for fear that finaneial irregularities might lead to poiice trouble for his sister, he did not. report the couple's disappearance. Burlin has recalled that more than once after having toid the mutual friend by telephone of his anxiety, he had next day received a letter from his sistei telling him not to worry. The letters bore the postmarks of various places. Burlin continued to worry and told the mutual friend he had almost deeided to tell the poiice. The mutual friend counselled "be sure. Come and see me first. ' '