EPIDEMIC OF CRIME.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3408, 12 February 1920, Page 6

EPIDEMIC OF CRIME.

BRITAIN’S NE\V PROBLEM.

MANY U;\'b‘OLV.ED MYSTERIES.

MURDER IN A TRAIN.

LONDON, Jan. 20

Crimes of violence and moral turpitude are becoming so numerous that judges and pre'a.cllers "are -constantly moved co express their uneasiness.

At the Westminster Court the in: quest on Arthur Alexander, who committed suicide by taking poison in a West End ‘Hotel, in she coronex-’s mo-rds: "‘igmolni.lliously'. malieiowxsly; and malevolently,’ mvealed :1 .disgraceful scandal in high life. The hanClso'fi'ie young sciapegrace, an Italian, was found dead in a room full of eompromi'singAlet:tel's, which the coroner declined to read, as they implicated a number of society women. Young, meddle-aged, and eld-

Orly wives of ofiicors and others, had financed him, presented him with valuable jcwenery, and paid his hotel bills.

The press is concerned at the number of murders in which the murderers escape. The latest Case is that of :1 young man who nlurderod an oldcdly nurse in rho Eastbomne-Victol‘i'3L oxpross and I’»a;~‘scd threugh thhc bal'l'iel' uni-hecked.

The polim are still coarching for thc nlu_x'den-1' of .\ll's Luxfon, :1 lonely licensee of a little publichouse, The Cross Keys, Chelsea, who was felled

!with a. baffle in a collar at night. :The murderer set fire to the house

and escaped. The firemen found the body siill warm, and the gas jet nliglitz, If :1 policeman had not noticed the door open and smoke issuing the place would probably h’3tVo been burnt down obliterating all traces of the crime. The wave of posli ofiiee robberies continues nnabated, and several additional cases have occurred, ‘without al'.v'esi's beiiig In'a(,le. Tll9 latest was in Bermanclsey, where four men forced an entrance into the premises in the early morning, and were observed to lift the safe, (‘lOllT{lil_"!.‘.lg £9OO, into a motor-van and drive off. Scotland Yard is faced with a. most diificult. problem i solving‘ the mys-

fiery of the <]iS{lppo{l'.‘allCO of Lady

Loughbl*ough’s jewellery. Shei W3-S .\'pollding some days with friends, and a taxi-cab was engaged and conveyed her luggage from her house in Connaught Street to friends in Duke Street. The jewel ciise was not missed u'n:Til after the arrival of the taxi in Duke Street, and was probably‘ exIructed during transit.

Seven con§ta'bles who were caught gambling in {he West End while Supposed :to be on duty have been dismissed from the force.

An aged recluse, reputed to be wealthy, named Ruben Mort, who Ived alone in Bolton, has been found dying, with his head shockingly battered and otherwise maltreated. N

He declared that a burglar fofced an clxfrance and hit him over the head bee:-11130 he refused to hand over the keys of his safe, containing £2OO.

Mort was removed :to We infirm':l'.'y, where he died. °

A Liverpool post office WaS‘llold up by three masked men with revolvers, who stole £5150.

The Times, in a. leading article, says fhat the most casual observer must be impressd by the fact that London and the country generally are suffering from the unusually serious epidemic of crime, which students of social problems foresaw and foretold.

The crime wave has been caused by the release of a, large number of professional criminals from the army, unemployment and disinclination to work amro-ng dicscliarged Soldiers, and disregzlrd for the sacredness of life caused by familiarity with bloodshed and sensational cinema films.