PLOT THAT FAILED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 June 1938, Page 7

PLOT THAT FAILED

THE ATTEMPT TO KIDNAP LORD NUFFIELD ALLEGED EXTORTION PLAN DISCLOSURES IN OXFORD POLICE COURT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Copyright. (Recd This Day, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, June 9. How John Bruce Thornton allegedly planned to kidnap Lord Nuffield, motor him to Bruce’s yacht at Ipswich, and force him to sign letters of credit, and then put him ashore with stickingplaster over his eyes was outlined by a witness named Parham at the Oxford Police Court. Lord Nuffield was not present.

Parham said the plot to kidnap Lord Nuffield and hold him for ransom obviously could not be carried out singlehanded. Thornton, who originated the scheme, sought the assistance of a Major Ramsden, whom he met in 1930.

The latter disclosed that he was badly off financially, whereupon Thornton said he knew a way to get money. Having watched Lord Nuffield for a long time, he said it would be easy to kidnap him. Only his private secretary Hobbs, would be in the way. Thornton bought Ramsden a new car, saying it would be useful later. He unfolded a scheme to kidnap Lord Nuffield, if necessary at the point of a revolver, motor him-to the yacht, and force him to write three letters, one to Hobbs saying he would be away for a week, another to a bank asking it to give a letter of credit to a Dr Webb, and a third to be taken to the bank by Thornton identifying him as Dr. Webb. The plan was that Ramsden should keep Lord Nuffield on the yacht until Thornton negotiated the letter of credit on the Continent. Ramsden would then bring him ashore and leave him in a field with sticking-plaster over his eyes. The pair chartered the yacht Pierette for the purpose. PADLOCKS AND CHAINS.

Parham, continuing, said Thornton told Ramsden to buy padlocks and chains, to secure Lord Nuffield while in the car and on the yacht. Ramsden reported the matter to the police, who instructed him to agree to Thornton’s scheme, after which Ramsden assisted the police and remained in the confidence of Thornton, who intended to kidnap Lord Nuffield at pistol-point. Lord Nuffield and the police were privy to the plan. Thornton sought an interview with Lord Nuffield in the name of Wilson. Thornton later asked Ramsden to telephone to Lord Nuffield for an appointment and he gave him the pencilled draft of a letter to type out. Thornton proposed to use this letter if anyone else was in the room and to hand it to Lord Nuffield saying: “Here is a letter of introduction.” It ran: —

“Read this carefully before passing any remark. I am packing two automatics and I will immediately shoot you through the guts if you attempt to raise any alarm or suspicion. Any helpwill be too late to help you. Ask me to come to the Children’s Hospital and accompany me to my car. My chaffeur will do the rest. Do not attempt to make a run for it. That way out means instant death for you or anyone attempting to interfere. I am a quick and accurate shot, but you have nothing to fear if you do exactly what you are told. Say the writer of this letter is a personal friend of yours and dismiss from the room anyone there. Make sure that you are not followed. It will be fatal ,for you. Jump to it. I am in a hurry.” ACTION POSTPONED.

Thornton and Ramsden met on May 24, Ramsden wealing a chaffeur’s hat and Thornton said: “I can’t do it today. I have burned my wig.” Ramsden drove near the Morris Works and telephoned to the police for instructions, Thornton remaining in the car. The police arrived and took Thornton to the Morris Works and searched him. They found an automatic pistol strapped under an arm and another in the car. Parham added: “Clearly it was in Thornton’s mind in the morning to endanger his life, though by the evening he might have abandoned the scheme.” Ramsden gave evidence that Thornton told him that, having got Lord Nuffield aboard the yacht, he intended to display surgical instruments and threaten to perform an operation upon Lord Nuffield, without an anaesthetic, Unless Lord Nuffield wrote letters to Hobbs and the bank. Thornton told him to listen to the wireless on the day following the kidnapping and if he heard that Thornton had been arrested at the bank he would know that "Lord Nuffield had not played the game and he was to take him to sea and dump him.” The hearing was adjourned.