PARIS KIDNAPPING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 923, 17 March 1930, Page 10

PARIS KIDNAPPING

RUSSIAN ROYALIST GENERAL CARRIED OFF MYSTERIOUS RED TAXI General Koutepoff. the Russian Royalist leader, whose mysterious disappearance baffled the police of Paris recently, was kidnapped. Suspicions that his disappearance was the result of a plot by liis Bolshevist enemies are confirmed —if new evidence discovered is to be believed, says a “Daily Chronicle” special correspondent. A new witness* employed in a clinic at the end of the street in which the General lived, saw the entire incident. He declares that lie was shaking a rug out of a fifth storey window, when he noticed a red taxi standing at the corner. Just then the General arrived. Two men standing by the taxi suddenly seized him by the arms and forcibly thrust him inside, A third man, dressed as a policeman, gave a hurried glance round, and followed the others into the taxi, which immediately drove off. In the meantime a private car had been manoeuvring in such a manner as to cut off any approaching traffic if this had been necessary. As, however, the street was deserted. the. private car immediately followed the taxi, disappearing in the direction of the Boulevard cles Invalides. Acting an Arrest The witness declares that he thought it was merely an arrest. He later recognised a Press photograph of the missing General as being that of the man who had been bundled into the red taxi-cab. This witness appears to be worthy of credit. He is emphatic upon every point of his story, and is given an excellent character by his employers. Another curious detail emerges from his story. He declares that for the last five or six weeks the same man, dressed as a policeman, lias been stationed at the same spot between 8 and 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, and on Sundays only. During this time the seeming policeman was frequently joined by a young woman wearing a beige dress. With her he had long conversations. A Promise of £.250 Another new witness overhead a mysterious conversation one Saturday night which suggests strongly that such a coup was planned. This witness declares that she was dining in a restaurant in Montmartre at the next table to a party of four. Two were men. and spoke in Russian to each other, but in French to the women who were with them. During dinner'the witness heard the word “Koutepoff” mentioned a number of times. Then one of the Russians leaned over to the lady opposite him and said in French, “If you succeed in this coup there will be £250 for you.” A Russian newspaper published here demands that the Soviet Embassy he searched, adding that “there i may still be time to save the General.”