FAMOUS CORONER

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 716, 16 December 1933, Page 2

FAMOUS CORONER

("Post" Special Cox-responclent.)

MAN WHO FIRST SUSPECTED HARRIS, THE FIRE FIEND. DR. F. J. W|ALD;0.

London, November 4. Dr. F. J. Waldo, f-or 31 years coroner for the City of London and the ■Borough of Southwark, died yesterday in London. He was 81 years of aie- , . , IDuring his long coronership— ihe retired only last year — Dr. Waldo conducted many famous inquests. Twenty years ago he inquired into the death of Sergeant Bentley, the police officer who was shot while at.tempting to arrest Whitechapel burglars. This was the prelude to the "Battle of Sidney Street"— -the most spectacular affray in which policemen and criminals have ever engaged in this country.

Ev-er since then, Dr. Waldo has urged that larmed criminals should be flogged. 'In 1926, in the course of one of his fire inquests, it was alleged that Leopold Harris was associated with' the incendiaries. Harris, who was represented by the late Sir Edward Marshall-Hall, was closely questioned. "I decided to watch his activities in the future," Dr. Waldo said afterwards. "I heai'd of another fire in which his name was mentioned and went to investigate it, but f ouhd that ' it was just outside the city boundary. " I was very disappointed, as I was lanxious to question Harris. The opportunity did not occur again." .Some years ago he devised a special chamber in which unidentified Ibodies might be kept indeftnitely pending identification. S.uch chambers are now in use all over the world 'Educated at Clifton College, Bris i toi, and Cambridge, Dr. Wlaldo wa called to the B;ar at the Middle-Tem ple in 1896.