ADVENTUROUS CAREER

Hokitika Guardian, 9 September 1926, Page 4

ADVENTUROUS CAREER

’PURSUIT OF CRIMINALS IN MANY LANDS. AUCKLAND, Sept. 6. To few men h,is adventure come in such, abundance as to Mr A. H. M’Gilvray, secret service officer,' soldier and former' inspector of police at Monmouthshire, who is , now in Auckland. Although now retired, Air M’Gilvray is ail active mail possessing remarkable physique. As an officer at Scotland Yard, Air Al’Gilvruy has had an association with criminal detection which lias led him oil many excursions through Europe in connection with both felony and political crime. He is the holder of seven war medals and ten fighting bars. As a soldier lie served in the South African war, the Soudan campaign and in tho European war on .secret service work. lie has I oil owed notorious criminals across the Atlantic, through Mediterranean countries, Asia and Australia. After the Boer war Air M’Gilvmy had many years service at Scotland Yard. He rose from the ranks to tho position of Inspector of the Monmouthshire Constabulary. At the outbreak of the European war lie was enlisted as a sergeant-major in the Coldstream Guards. He saw service in France nnd was seriously wounded in tho retreat from Moils. Owing to ill health he was sent to Australia to recuperate. Mr Af’Gilvra.v is the proud possessor of a letter from King George wishing him a quick recovery to health. Mr M’Gilvray had rendered considerah’e service at Buckingham Enlace. Mis most noted criminal work was the capture of the murderer, Dr Crippen, when wireless telegraphy was used for (lie first lime to intercept an absconder from justice. AYith a number of specially commissioned officials Air .M’Gilvray visited Russia during the height, of the revolution and was arrested by the Bolsheviks at. Riga, fie made a special investigation into the maze of political intrigue which was exercising the police of Europe when Bolshevik influences became international. A fluent, speaker of German he was frequently engaged on the Continent. While in Australia in 1922 Air Al’Gilvray was sworn in by the Consul-Gene-ral of France to assist in the escort of Tstwan Sssiber and Georges Fulop. the notorious scdilionists. Both were cultured men. whose influences were prominent in Europe in 1919. Sziher had served as an officer in the Hungarian army and a :u later editor of ike ‘‘Journal Bongo,” published in Abiko, Hungary. He directed his criticism at (lie French occupation of Hungary ami was tried by court niariial and sentenced to death for inciting French soldiers to mutiny. The sentence was subsequently commuted to penal servitude tor life. Fulop w'.is a. French artjst and a contributor to "Ha Yie I’arisienne." lie was convicted for causing disruption in Slovakia and for attempting to induce the gendarmerie to disarm. Both plotters were condemned to banishment for life at Noumea, and they arrived in Sydney in Afiiy, 1922, on tl'c El Tvantara, in charge o f six French detectives. They escaped during coaling operations. Afr Al’GilvrUv was then in touch with the Australian secret service. His previous knowledge of both fugitives stood him in good stead, and lie had them arrested within twentyfour hours. Afr Al’Gilvirqv nnd another detective were commissioned to escort the prisoners to Now Caledonia, and the men were safely lodged at Non Island, near Noumea. The detectives were interested to find that 60,000 francs were in safe keeping at Noumea for Fulop. Whilo waiting for a vessel to return Mr Ai’Gilvi'ny excited the interest of a criminal faction in Noumea and was attacked one night. It was a singlehanded light in a dark streets against many hands. JTe was shot through the forearm and lightly stabbed, but he had the satisfaction of bringing two of bis assailants to trial for attempted murder.