Kidnappers' Plan To Rob Father of His Child Foiled After Struggle

NZ Truth, Issue 1239, 29 August 1929, Page 7

Kidnappers' Plan To Rob Father of His Child Foiled After Struggle

SHUT IN BEHIND BOLTED DOORS

CAPTURE PREVENTED BY BOY'S GRANNY

THERE is very little need to re-cast the original story m its entirety. Very f eAV readers are unaAvare of

the circumstances m Avhich Mrs. Luff Avas able to give effect to the ideas she formulated Avhen she went to visit her sister, Mrs. W. Naish, at Ormondville, at whose house she Avas supposed to be resting in-order to

regain her health

Berry's artifice also- iwill be fairly clear m recollection.

He told Ills', wife, he Avas going shooting with a friend of his m the Wairarapa district, but when she became suspicious as the result , of some inquiries made by- Luff, she wired to Befry's friend m .the Wairarapa,; only to be informed that he had not heard from her husband for some considerable time!

By the tinie , Luff and Berry's agitated wife learned of the runaway pair's real movements, Mrs. Luff and Berry and Mickie Luff were beyond immediate reach of New Zealand shores.

It Avill be remembered how, Mrs. Berry Issued a Avarrant for the arrest 'of her husband, lioav it Avas executed m Sydney, but the proceedings were A\iaiyed by Mrs. Berry, herself when she received- cable advice from sources m Sydney that passage : moneys for herself ahd her' five 'Children would be cabled if she. '-would ..lift the warrant.

She acquiesced, but by the time she had arriA'ed ■•'.-ih". Sydney .Tier husband and Mrs. .Luff had vanished across tho -border' 'to ■Victoria, presumably to escape the Avfit ofVhabeas corpus issued m Sydney for the recovery by Luff of his infant son. '■ ' \- '.- ' " Though short m stature, George Luff is by no means a pigmy m deter-, mination.

Securing leave ,of ; absence from his employers, and realising sufficient capital on his' more soluble assets, he sailed for Australia :by an early; boat, 'elicited the combined help of the Salvation Army authorities m Sydney arid Melbournej and the Criminal Investigation Branch m both, cities, as well as lawyers and private detectives, m the search for young Mickie.

Many weeks and much money were 6 pen t . m ipjyestigatipn;. ■ .-.-- ■-.■-. - : - - V- ----:•.- -. Duff had consultations with lawyers, IntervieAvs Avith police officials, per-, sistent communication Avith the Saiya-'' lion Army, whose work m his behalf Avns a fine example of their . capacity f or help m such cases.

But. .the reports were invariably the same — the child had been well hidden, and neither Berry nor. Mrs. Duff A'isited it during the two months of constant surveillance.

In order that he should retain, his job, Luff returned to NeAV Zealand, but early m "December he again went across to Australia, and the outcome of his second, trip was that early m February of this; year Mickie Duff, ahd his grandmother came back to New Zealand, after some harrowing experiences that left him shaking with fear.

Strange faces, seem to awake m him the dread that lie wilf he cast hack into the stream of •harshness that seems td have been his- pathetic little, lot m Melbourne and Sydney.

, Only those he knows and has reason to -love aije able to play with ; him, and .should .'a stranger

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approach him with some gentle encouragement, Mickie runs crying to the skirts of' his grannie.

Even the precautions taken by American multi - millionaires some years ago to protect their children from those Avho threatened to abduct and kill them if they refused to pay ransom, Avere not more carefully carried out than Avere those by means of AA r hich young Mickie was shielded and guarded Avithin tho past six months.! _■■■■..-"

Although he did not play within the confined allotments of steel -bordered pens patrolled by armed guards,' and did not play his innocent games under the oversight of men Avith automatics, his father took every precaution to see that his son Avas not suddenly wrested from the care of his grandmother and whisked away once more across the Tasman.

"Oh, grannie, grannie, don't leave me, don't leave me — don't let them take me away," was the the plaintive wail of the boy,. and his father devised every reasonable means to carry his "wish into effect.

A visit to the Luff house,, m Owen Street, .Newtown, Wellington, reminded one of mediaeval days, of draAVbridges, moats and stealthy crusades by night.

A ring at the bell of the Luff home brought a scurry of footsteps, a clanking, rasping sound from the inside, and after the emission of a feAV someAVhat mysterious sounds from Avithin, the door Avoiild open, but not more than three inches at the very most.

Tavo eyes peer cautiously at the caller, and if the scrutiny be satisfactory the eyes disappear, d. rattling noise accompanies a scraping sound from the chain which obviously, holds the door m bondage, and the visitor is invited inside. -

There is a further profuse distribution of bolts about the remaining rooms of the house, too, and it would need to be a fairly skilled burglar who could wander about at will, opening doors, without- disturbing someone.

Mickie has npt enjoyed, the unfettered liberties of other children since he came back to New Zealand.

Not for him ■. were tlie care-free games m the garden, nor could he wander aimlessly around the. house as many another child Avould have done.

Wherever he Avent, someone accompanied him. because his father held the fear that Mrs. Luff or her friends might endeavor to snatch. him from the care of old Mrs. Luff, then whisk him out of the country." , ■■ • ' -

Some days before Mrs. Luff returned so secretly, "Truth" was aware of her impending arrival,

and while she affectionately greeted

the man and woman who came to meet her . at Queen's Wharf, two representatives of this paper watched her from the doorway of the customs; shed, through which walked the remaining passengers.

From her -subsequent mo.vemen.ts it almost appeared, that neither' she nor

her companions were anxious to advertise her presence m the Dominion. The very fact of her having sailed under her maiden name might also be cited as an indication that she Avas unwilling jjo experience the observance of anyone interested m her movements. Instead of passing through the main entrance, they Avaiked sloAVly along the wharves, along the darkened thoroughfare of Customhouse Quay, doAvn by the side of Government Buildings, then across to the seat near the bus stop. They sat on this seat for nearly half an hour, and Avhen: the Khandallah bus drew up at the kerb they collected the suitcase which Mrs. Duff had carried off the ship and clambered into the bus.

Fond Parent of Mickie Luff Made Home A Fortress Against Attack

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative)

When the narrative of George Luffs divorce petition against his wife is poured from the witness box of the Supreme Court, a manuscript of strange happenings will be unfolded; a typescript of bitterness and " love and movement commingling with stealthy expeditions planned and excuted with k ee " dispatch, yet, withal true to the promptings of lif e itself. Almost a year ago Leonora Vera Luff and her lover, ''Harry" Berry, stole across to Australia with Luff's young son. Luff out-manoeuvred them some months later.

On June 30 Mrs. Luff returned secretly by the Manuka ., and seven weeks later an attempt was made to kidnap young "Mickie" Luff from his grandmother's house, half an hour before the Sydney boat left the wharf The plan miscarried, but —

Several times on the way to Ngaio they carefully scrutinised their fellow-passengers, yet failed to notice the blue car which followed m the wake of the bus.

Having satisfied themselves as to the capacities of the few passengers Avho remained after the bus- pulled put from the store at Ngaio, they took no further interest m anyone' else.

Rightly or wrongly, "Truth" Avas under tlie impression that the princpal reason for Mrs. Luff's return to the Dominion Avas to secure young Mickie.

In the light of informatioa this paper received from Australia, it .Avas believed that Mrs. Luff A\ r ould either make' formal application through the courts m Wellington, \ or else take other measures to ensure the recovery of her four-years-old son.

A mother Avill do anything under the urge of despair or determination, and it Avas felt that if Mrs. Luff discarded the idea of carrying an application through the courts, she might decide to act swiftly on the very night of her arrival.

Whatever her intentions, they did not proceed to violent functioning on the night of her arrival.

Luff told "Truth" that about a week afterwards he was awakened by stealthy footsteps along the garden path at the side of the house, followed almost immediately by surreptitious movements at the back door.

Luff sprang out of 'bed, crept doAvn the passage which passes through the centre of the house, then made his Avay cautiously tOAvards the back door.

He Avas almost Avithin reach of the door itself Avlien his foot caught against a. chair leg, and. before he could prevent it the chair had made a slight scraping noise across the floor.

Realising that further caution A\"as useless, he. SAviftly unbolted the door, but before he could gain the steps leading down to the garden there Avas a' slight scurry of feet, and Avhoever nad taken such an interest m tne Luff

household made' themselves scarce.

Mickie's. father was under no delusion as to the intentions of the night visitors,' and on his way to work that morning he took the first step towards finding a safe hidihgplace for the boy.

A. feAV days afterw his grandmother - left the NeAvtoAvn house, and for some Aveeks were not seen m Wellington.

About a fortnight later Luff received notice from his solicitor that Mrs. Luff intended making application for custody of the child, and m clue course the day arrived for hearing of the case.

By special arrangement the two solicitors conferred with Mr. J. S. Bar--ton, S.M., m his room, and Avhen half an hour later they descended the main stairway Luff's solicitor told him that the magistrate held not made the order.

ards Mickie and

Luff, of course, was jubilant, and m his excitement construed the result as being clearly indicative of his- right to unfettered cv* c of his four-years-old boy, Avhen, as a matter of fact, he did not possess that privilege m sight of the law.

What" appeared fo him as a virtual order of the court Avas really a mis-construction'-of Avnat his counsel told him, a mistake Avhich subsequently proA-ed disconcerting to at least tAvo other people.

The following ' three weeks were fairly uneventful, but on the morning of August 16 the Luff household Avas treated to fifteen minutes of excitement rarely experienced m this country.

A few days before this date, Mickie Luff and his grandmother returned to the ' Owen Street house, Avatching for any surprise movements Avhich the boy's father felt were likely, neyer stirring out of the house unless the circumstances appeared fairly safe. Early that mornr ing, Mrs. DoAvn, a niece of the old lady's, came over from Lyall Bay to help ay i t h the housework. In view of Avhat occurred less than half an hour before the "Maheno" sailed for Sydney, it Avas Avell for Luff that she did so. About half past eleven, Mr. Luff senior ansAvered a knock at the front door, to be met Avith the question: "Does Mrs. Fraser live here?" "Oh, that's a pity," replied the stranger Avhen Mrs. Luff answered his first question m

the negative. 'Well, where does Mrs. Archer live, then?". he asked. All the time, he Avas talking, the. old lady had an uneasy feeling that her caller Avas not entirely innocent m his reasons, for- asking so many questions. I He seemed too bland, too cheerfully inquisitive, too breezy m his replies ,to her answers. .

Mrs. Luff told this talkative individual that she did not know where' Mris. Archer lived, either, but the man was by no means nonplussed by her short replies. lie withdrew a srti^ll book from his pocket, and Avith a stub of pencil made a feAV scratches oh the .surface of the paper. He appeared anxious to extend the acquaintanceship lie had so easily struck, but Mrs. Luff became more suspicious as ne continued to pass observations on subjects which nad absolutely no bearing upon his original queries. "Fancy Mrs. Archer not living here!" he exclaimed. "My luck seems to be out to-day, doesn't it?" "Yes, I'm afraid it is," rejoined Mrs. Luff, shortly, and Avith that she closed tne door, thoroughly nettled Avith the man and his futile questioning. Replacing the bolts and securing the door by its chain, she walked slowly down the passage towards the kitchen, her mind ali\ r e Avith conjecture as to the reason for the man's someAvhat extraordinary behavior, and AA-ith the A r ague fear that something — she could no.t exactly determine Avhat — lay behind this apparently pointless call. She had taken not more than half a dozen steps along the passage when her hearing was assailed by sounds of violence m the kitchen, accompanied by violent screaming. In a flash it came to her that the man at the door, and the screaming, the sounds of trampling feet, the trouble and stress through Avhich she and her family had passed within the previous eight months, the nerve strain of expected abduction and all /the precautionary measures taken to secure young Mickie, Avere all interleaved, and Avhen she opened the kitchen door her intuition was fully realised. Tlie' younger Mrs. Luff Avas struggling fiercely Avith Mrs. DoA\'rt, a tall, heavilj' overcoated man, Avith a- hat pulled loav over his eyes, Avas bent over Mickie Luff, and about to put him m

the crook of his arm, while Mrs. Down's five-year-old son coAvered m the far corner, shivering with fright.

Mrs. Doavh managed to shake off her assailant — her earlier years as a gymnast stood her m excellent stead — and before the crouching man had taken more than two steps she caught hold of him by the arm, whirled him around, released, her hold that she might regain possession of the boy, and was at once mixed up m a terrific melee between herself, Mrs. Luff junior and the man.

The old lady was knocked down, but struggled again to her feet, and was able to help her niece, though slightly, m wheeling the combatants m the direction of the passage.

Apparently the younger Mr 3. Luff thought that the man who fought with Mrs. Down for possession of young Mickie had commenced the movement towards the front door, since she is said to have cried: "Come on, ," as she dashed out of the back door, evidently with- the idea of meeting him as he emerged at the front. By sheer- force the man carried the boy and Mrs. Down along the passageway, but m an unguarded moment he let the boy slip from his grasp, and before he could recover himself the old lady had hustled Mickie and Mrs. Down into a bedroom, and slammed the door, Mrs. DoAyn swiftly turned the key m the lock,. and the fight was over. .In a trice the intruder had slipped the bolts from their sockets, undid the chain, threw, open the door and made a hasty escape, leaving a definite piece of evidence behind him. It seems that at the tail end of the scuffle, while the parties were sparring for breath, for they" had fought for nearly tAventy minutes from the time old Mrs. Luff" heard her niece scream for help, Mrs. DoAvn succeeded m knocking off the Oman's hat, and m his excitement to secure possession of Mickie Luff, he-forgot his headgear. In case those outside might return and commence a further foray, Mrs. Luff walked painfully into- the kitchen- and secured the back door, and, having made sure that everything was fairly safe, she returned toy the locked bedroom, telling her niece that the invading party had gone. y . She then rang- her son, and Avithin three ■ minutes' ay greatly disturbed father held m his. arms a very frightened little boy. .y "Who Avas it, son?" he asked. "Man and woman tried take me 'way. You, bolt the door, dad, you bolt the door. Man and Avonian tri&dVtake me "Avay," said Mickie. "Yes, but who Avas the AA'oman?" asked his father,' .endeavoring to find out whether the boy had 'recognised his mother. -...,'. "A Avoman, a woman," was " the youngster's response, and that Avas all he would say. The house itself was m, a state of

great disorder. Chairs were overturned, the tablecloth Avas ' hanging askew, and floor-mats were strewn Avilly-nilly ninder the kitchen table or m the grate. "3, ■ \ Mrs. Duff, sen., was m a state of collapse and had to. be sent- immediately to bed; Mrs. Doavii was partially hysterical Avith the shock of all that had happened, Avhile Mickie Luff and his cousin alternately screamed and whimpered. ' .'■.'•

Luff lost little time m ringing the detective office at Central police station, and that afternoon he was interviewing two members of the local Criminal Investigation Branch.

Statements Avere made by the tAvo

women as to what had occurred, and they also say ore. to the identity of the man who left his hat behind, and who, stooping to hide his true' height as he folloAved Mrs. .Luff, junior, into the kitchen, averted his face and kept his hat well doAvn, but omitted to remove his initials from it.

Had Luff secured. an order for legal custody of his son, this omission might have proved a deadly piece of evidence against the intruder, since the penalty of proved abduction is a fairly lengthy term of imprisonment.

Luff's Avife did not sail by ( the "Maheno," although a berth had been pencilled fdr her, and that afternoon she Avas served wtih divorce papers.

At midday on Saturday, August 17, she mounted the gangway of the "Manuka," Avhich left for Melbourne direct. " '

The man whose initials corresponded with those of "J.H.W." marked m the hat was interviewed by the police on the following Tuesday, but m the long consultation which . his counsel had with the detectives it was made clear that neither Luff nor his Avife had any preferential right to the child, and m the circumstances his client had not committed any -offence. - It seems that Luff definitely stated in' his intervieAV with the detectives that he was the child's legal custodian, but it appears fairly evident that his mistake arose -quite naturally out of the belief that since. Mr. Barton, S.M., had not granted Mrs. Luff an order, then he virtually was entitled, to take charge of Mickie Luff.

The police had no other alterna- . tive than to drop the charge, the hat was returned to its owner, while Luff and his relatives settleddown once rhore-- to a -period: of waiting for the diyorce proceedings • »

to take place.

The strain of the past months, thc nerve'-Avfacklng,_: anxiety. ..of watching closely the :r mb^ftniei^pj^)l e m Q c who had cost his father hundreds of pounds and many nights of sleepless endeavor. to trace him, and the culmination of it all -when she' least expected any sudden movement on the part of the hoy's mother, was rather too much for the old lady, and since the morning of the battle for the youngster she scarcely has. been, able to speak to anyone.

: The boy, too, is overwrought with fear that someone will come to snatch him from the loving care of his grannie, and his constant cry to 'whoever enters the house is: "Bolt the door, bolt the door."

It is ah"" urgent cry, inspired by all the misadventures through which his young life has passed, issuing from the centre of a tortured little nervous system- that has suffered, much from the tension and • fear-full atmosphere which has encircled him since the day on which he and his mother and Berry mounted the gangway of the "Ulimaroa." -.'■■-■■. .-. Here the manuscript must coil itself, remaining fast shut until the moment when a -divorce judge shall deliver aji opinion as to whom < shall he the ultimate guardian of young Mickie's life. Then, and not until, shall George Duffs life, and that qf his small boy. be comparatively even m tenbty-'freed- from that day-to-day uncertainty 'AA'hich now marks. its surface.

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