THE SECRET SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1928, Page 7

THE SECRET SERVICE

27 THRILLING YEARS

INSPECTOR McINTYRE OF THE C.I.TX

WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA, Oct. 16

Secret-service exploits of the Foreign (Branch of Scotland Yard were described to me by Inspector -Mclntyre, who is living in retirement lien after 27 thrilling years spent in hunting international criminals.

Inspector Mclntyre was associated in various cases with Mr F. J. Sims, who from 1880 until 1921, was principal assistant in the department of the Director of Public Prosecutions. An account of some of the exciting episodes in Mr Sims’s career—he was engaged in 200 murder cases—appeared i'll recent issues of the London Mail.

Inspector Mclntyre came from Argyllshire, his birthplace, at the age of 19, in 1881 to join the Metropolitan Police as a uniformed constable. He speaks French and Germa-n fluently, and has a knowledge of Dutch and Italian yet to-day, at the a.ge of 66, after years of service on secret commissions abroad, lie still retains bis native dialect.

APACHE ATTACK

Ail Apache attack in a London street provided perhaps the most perilous moment in Inspector McIntyre’s life. Two of the worst types of the Parisian underworld had come over to London, and they were seen by Inspector Mclntyre in the act of committing highway robbery with violence in Charlotte street, off Tottenham Court road.

“ I happened to be in the district on another enquiry when the attack occurred,” Inspector Mclntyre told me, and then lie added simply, “ I arrested them. Both were notoriously dangerous men. Each was sentenced to ten years at the Old 'Bailey. “ The Recorder. Sir Forrest Fulton, directed that I should give my evidence in French, so that the prisoners could understand. Numerous convictions were recorded against them in France, and subsequently extradition proceedings were taken.

BANK NOTE FORGERIES

“ I have been to Franco, Germany, Holland, and Russia after murderers, note forgers, and fraudulent bankrupts. On one occasion I, with Sergeant Wegner, arrested five foreign Jews on a charge of forging Austrian bank notes. Two of them were acquitted at Bow street, and Wegner and 1 took the other three to Hamburg, where they were handed over to the German police and afterwards to the Austrian police at an Austrian seaport. “ I arrested another notorious Frenchband forger at Gravesend and took possession of forger bonds with all the apparatus for printing and forgery. He was handed over to the French authorities at Boulogne and did a long term of imprisonment.”

A silver tea and coffee service and a silver salver were presented to Inspector Mclntyre by tho Austro-Hungarian Government in 1909 in recognition of his services to that country.

Apart from numerous inquiries for the Treasury concerning bonds stolen abroad and negotiated in this country, Inspector Mclntyre was sent on a special secret mission to Algiers in connection with tho last Royal Commission on the Metropolitan Police in 1906.

BLACKMAIL CHARGES

“ Allegations of blackmail were then made against tho police,” said Inspector Mclntyre. “by a Frenchwoman and her so-called husband.

“ I remained in Algiers for three weeks, and made enquiries concerning the character of the woman and her alleged husband. I was also sent to Paris on tho same enquiry. “ Sir Edward Hc-nry, who was then the Commissioner, told me that the result of my enquiries had saved the reputation of the Metropolitan police. “ Another exciting experience which befell me as a young sergeant was when a van loaded with silver ingots was stolen from King’s Cross. I was> acting under Chief Inspector lienn Moore and Chief Inspector Conquest when we recovered all the silver ingot' iu a van just by Bow Church one night after a struggle.

“ AVe arrested the two men in the van. Afterwards we dug up about six or eight ingots that were buried in r. back garden at Dais ton. Ultimately all the silver was recovered. Three men altogether were arrested and all received long terms of penal servitude.

“ D. S. AVINDELL.”

Another case on which I was employed was the fraud on the London and South-Western Bank by “ D. S. AVindell.” I spent 14 days in Brussels for that. Bernard Robert, otherwise Davitt Stanley AVindell, was arrested in Madrid.

“ Me was found guilty, and he and a. clerk in the hank who planned the forgery were both sentenced. The clerk was sentenced to seven years’ penal serviude, and Robert to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour.”

Inspector Mclntyre was chosen for special duty at Dover, Le Havre, Cherbourg, and Bremenhaven, Germany, and on his retirement from the C.I.D. in 11)09 he was appointed the first inspector. of massage and employment agencies under the London Co-nty Council. He retired under the age limit last year.