THE BLACK PILGRIM

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20732, 16 February 1939, Page 7

THE BLACK PILGRIM

By George Stanley

(9) THE FOUR ANARCHISTS The explosion which wrecked the top floor Flat in Bousransville House, and resulted in the deaths of certain undesirable persons, was the only occasion during the time when his exploits were troubling Scotland Yard, that The Black Pilgrim was concerned with dealing out death to any evildoer. Whether his action was justified or not, is a matter of opinion; anyway, it was a very apt instance of the punishment fitting the crime. From time to time zealous and misguided’ people, struggling beneath the heel of real or fancied oppression, have endeavoured to remove the cause of their grievances by direct action. The assassin’s knife, the revolver shot, poison, and the bomb, have all been employed at different times in history, with varying success. In most cases there has been a fairly good reason for these attempts, but the sudden reign of terror which descended upon the British Isles during the summer of the year which recorded the activities of The Black Pilgrim, had, so far as the authorities could discover, no just cause whatever. The first indication of the terrible series of events which were to follow, came in the early days of a sweltering hot July. The day was a Saturday; the time approximately one o'clock. The twelvethirty express train from Victoria to Eastbourne, packed with holiday makers, had almost crossed the viaduct

which spans Ihe River Raise in Sussex when, suddenly, under the force of a terrific explosion, part of the viaduct thundered into the air.

The perpetrators of the outrage were fortunately guilty of an error of judgment. At the moment of the explosion the train was gathering speed and the last two coaches which were nearest to the point of danger contained only luggage, the guard being out of his van at the time. The two smashed coaches, flung clear of the line, tumbled down the slope beyond, In a cascade of trunks and cases, while the adjoining one, containing passengers,, bumped from the rails into a thick clump of ancient oak trees which saved it from further danger.

The passengers were hastily transferred to the remainder of the train, which proceeded upon its way. At the first signal box the news of the dastardly outrage was flashed along the wires.

A breakdown gang, police. Government experts and reporters were soon upon the scene of the explosion and, within a few hours, the news of the attempt was being broadcast throughout the country.

But worse was to follow. Although Immediate steps were taken by the authorities to discover the authors of the crime and to prevent a repetition of the outrage, their efforts proved fruitless. For the following day brought news of another undoubted'attempt at terrorism, which was only frustrated by the merest accident.

This time the blow was directed at the huge oil storage tanks at Daddenham, and occurred after the yards had closed for the day.

The night watchmen, owing to a number of minor thefts of tools, were unusually on the alert, and when, shortly before midnight, one of them observed two indistinct figures stealing from a small launch, he called a companion, and the iwo of them waited, ready to pounce, upon the presumed thieves.

To their surprise they saw that the two men were carrying packages from the launch. They followed until they saw the two intruders place a package immediately beneath one of the tanks. Then they sprang. In the ensuing fight one of the intruders escaped, but the other, felled by a blow from a truncheon, was secured. It was then that the horrified watchman discovered that the parcel which had been placed in position near the tank, was a bomb.

They collected the other parcels and quickly dropped them into the river. Then, while one hurried to the telephone to summon assistance, the other maintained guard upon the river front.

Police were quickly rushed to the spot, and experts rendered the bombs useless. The miscreant who had been seized was questioned without result, for he maintained a stolid silence in the face of all attempts to elicit any information. At last the effort was given up, and the man removed under guard to the local police station. In a vain effort to stem public anxiety the authorities attempted to hush up this second attempt, but watchmen will talk, and by noon the following day the whole story was splashed across the papers in blazing headlines. The two attempts coming so close upon each other, and the fact that bombs had been employed in both outrages, concentrated the Press upon the incidents. A storm of controversy broke out in the papers against the police. Patrols were placed by order of the authorities over bridges, important tunnels, and other danger spots, and something akin to a war-time roundup of aliens and spies was put into

The wisdom of these precautions was amply justified. For two days later an abortive attempt was made to blow up the Forth Bridge. The next day the miscreants were more successful. The bomb, which had been secreted under the seat in a compartment of a holiday train, burst, and at least eight persons were killed in the explosion; ten more were killed and at least twenty injured during the derailment and collision between the coaches which ensued. In spite of the closest search, and the furious activity whicn resulted on the, part of the police force of the whole euur try, no clue was obtained to the murderers of the innocent victims of the dastardly crime. Other blows followed in quick succession. 0 The explosion which wrecked the Tott's Road Power-station, and put half of London in darkness, fortunately resulted in no loss of life. The wrecking of a night goods train over the points of Clapham Junction, did little more than rouse the tempers of the members of the public who were del iyed by the disorg mised tr lin service which followed. The explosion winch wrecked part of the Tower Bridge was more serious, as the falling wreckage dropped into the river below at a moment when a pleasure steamer, laden with holiday makers,

A story of a modern P.obin llooi

was passing beneath. Several persons were killed and a number were injured. AIJ these attempts were borne by the long suffering public with a certain amount cf fortitude, but when in the second week of the series of attempts, a children's holiday excursion train was blown up. and twenty children killed or injured, the storm burst. Questions upon questions were rained at the Ministers of the Government in the House of Commons; the Press let loose a stream of criticism, and letters of abuse and threats of violence were received by local members of Parliament. Still the harpassed authorities could promise little, although every police officer and every secret service man was on his toes. But the. wanton murder of the little children had le.C loose upon the track of the murderers someone who was firmly resolved that the miscreants should be punished, and punished by the same means as the death which they had dealt out to others. For The Black Pilgrim had returned from a holiday in the South of France just in time*to read the full details of the terrible catastrophe. That same evening, after consulting a little black book which he took from his safe, he set out upon a tour of North London.

He visited a number of houses in various low localities, and made certain inquiries which took him to South London. It was after ten o'clock before lie had discovered the man of whom he had been in search, and, at the sight of his disguised face, the man cringed in fear. ‘ There is no need to be scared'of me,” said The Black Pilgrim. T have not come to harm you. All I want is a little information, my Terkoff. I am sure you will tell me what I want to know, especially when I will give you live—perhaps ten — pounds for it.” The receding forehead with the small beady eyes sunk beneath the bushy overhanging eyebrows gave the man before him a remarkable likeness to an ape. It was accentuated by the short squat form and the long arms which hung from the man’s sides.

TerkofTs big hands opened and shut as he stared, his low mentality unable to grasp the meaning of this promise of money. The Black Pilgrim watched him closely, his hands upon the butt of the automatic which lay in his pocket. Suddenly the simian face of Terkoff broke into a smile. “You want me to tell you something?" he asked. “Yes.” answered The Black Pilgrim, patiently. 'T will pay you for the information. What do you know of these bomb explosions? Who is doiug it? Are they friends of you?”

TerkofTs face changed to a scowl as he answered:

“No friends of Terkoff. They hate Terkoff. One stab with knife at me. What do you want me to

“Where can I find the people who kill with bombs? You shall lead me to them. I shoot them if they try to stab TerkofT. If you serve me well, I will give you money. If not, you know I can punish 1” Eventuaily, after nearly exhausting all his considerable patience, The Black Pilgrim manged to convey to hi 3 peculiar companion the objects which he wished to accomplish. This having penetrated into his dull brain, he became only too willing, and when The Black Pilgrim left him at last, their arrangements had been satisfactorily completed. The following evening he returned to the squalid house where TerkofT was waiting, and the strangely assorted pair set off together. The Black Pilgrim, knowing his companion, was taking no chances. His hand lay upon the butt of his automatic as they moved through the dark streets where, from the dim doorways of the ‘houses, faint white blurs of faces shone, while now and again the cry of some beaien child or the sound of raucous laughter echoed into the streets. They gained the neighbourhood of the river, and the hooting from the syrens of the boats, concealed by the heavy blanket of night mist which had fallen, sounded weirdly upon their ears. At last his companion clutched The Black Pilgrim by the arm, pointed forwards into the darkness, and held up his hand in caution. Before them the black bulk of a big building loomed, and following his guide, The Black Pilgrim found himself upon a little quay, against which he could hear the lapping of the water. The warehouse from which the quay projected seemed derelict, and the outer door hunc crazily from its broken hinges. Terkoff produced a torch from his pocket and proceeded into the chamber beyond, while, before their feet, rats —their red eyes shining in the darkness —scampered squeaking away. They had gained the back of the warehouse when Terkoff suddenly caught his companion's wrist. “Someone comes!” he hissed. They hurried forward and, gaining the stairs leading to the first lloor of the warehouse, sped upv\irds. Lying upon the warped boards among the number which littered the floor, they listened to the sound of approaching footsteps. Then through the holes in the floor they saw the rays of a powerful torch cut the gloom. Then the indistinct shape of a man appeared below them. He directed the light of the torch to a packingcase which lay on the floor, and proceeded to light the lamp which stood upon it. (To be continued)