FUGITIVE DIVES INTO THAMES.

Shannon News, 25 May 1926, Page 2

FUGITIVE DIVES INTO THAMES.

CAR THIEVES CHASED BY POLICE IN MOTOR. A midnight chase by Metropolitan and City constables, a dive into the Thames from London Bridge, and the rescue of a man, figured in one of the quickest captures ever made hy the police, writes the special correspondent of the Christchurch “Star.” Shortly before midnight on Tuesday Scotland Yard were informed that an open blue four-seater motor car had been stolen from outside the Connaught Club, Marble Arch, W. A description of the car was telephoned to every police station in the metro-* polls. Ten minutes later a constable saw a car being driven along Holborn. In trying to stop it he had a narrow escape from , being run down, and, commandeering a taxicab in I-lolbovn Circus, gave chase. Standing on the footboard, the constable blew his whistle 1 and, shouting to a colleague to inform the station, kept the motor car in sight.

When the end of Cheapside was reached it was found that a cordon of constables had been drawn across the street from the Bank of England to the Mansion House. The driver of the car, to avoid the cordon, turned swiftly into Queen street with the taxicab in close pursuit and headed for Cannon street. The chase continued down King William street. .When near the monument the driver of the car pulled up with a jerk. By this time the taxicab was alongside and the constable, leaping on to the footboard of the other car, seized a man in the back seat. A struggle ensued, but the constable and other police officers who came to -his assistance overpowered two of the three men in the car. The third man, however, who was the driver of the car, darted away through the narrow streets to London Bridge, pursued by a number of detectives. Reaching the bridge the fugitive realised that escape was hopeless, and, jumping on to' the parapet, dived into the river. While the police scrambled over barges and. flashed torches on to the water, the river police in motor boats arrived and found the man clinging to the chain of a barge. He was rescued and taken with the other .men to Cloak Lane Police Station. On March 29, at Marylebone Police Court, . James Lewis, aged 25, barge hand, and Charles David (Judd, 19, motor driver, both of no fixed home, wer e charged with being concerned with a third man in stealing and receiving from -outside the Connaught Club, Seymour Street, W., a motor car valued at £IGO, the property of Sydney Jerome, a musician, of Albion Road, N., Detective Benjamin Smith stated that he and Detective Digby went to Cloak Lane Station at 2.20 that morning and found the prisoners detained there. When told that they would be charged with the theft of Mr Jerome’s ear, Lewis replied: “I know nothing about it,” adding (as he pointed to Cudd), “I have never seen this man before.” Cudd said, “All right.” * Both men wore remanded in custody.