THE BLACK PILGRIM

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20738, 23 February 1939, Page 7

THE BLACK PILGRIM

A story of a modern Robin Hood.

(12j | "iRON ANN!E” Since the days of the war, when women stepped into the shoes of the men who had vanished overseas, and manfully carried on, women have entered into competition with men in practically every trade, business and profession. It is only natural, therefore, amongst the criminal section of the community, a similar competition should exist. In the lighter forms of criminal practices women were the imitation of men before the war. The gentle are of ‘whizzing,’ or the relieving of bulky pockets from the weight of wallets and purses containing therein; the unspeakable practice of blackmail, against which the true criminal artist would turn a frozen face; even the confidence trick, had all been worked before the war by female imitators. ■ But no women criminal had ever ; risen to the unpleasant notoriety of a j certain gentleman known as ‘Bash' i Smithers, until the arrival in those j circles, familiarly called “The Under- , world,’’ of “Iron Annie.” The name sounded almost like a j joke, but it supplied no humour to the numerous unfortunates who en- j countered that unpleasant woman ' during her night excursions. For j “Bash” Smithers had formed the | nasty habit of rendering unhappy I householders, whose premises he had nefariously entered, unconscious by | one shrewd blow of the cosh which he always carried. “Iron Annie” went one better, or worse if you like. She was not satisfied unless she had beaten the unfortunate person more than once. That she had all the skill necessary to her trade, was obvious. Did she . not enter four houses in one row, with ! a police patrol talking to a road night- ! watchman outside; beat up the four j persons who might have disturbed her, i and get away before a shriek could ; be given for the police? And she j earned her name from the two inter- ; esting details which transpired from these jobs. For one householder, sleeping in the house by himself, heard a peculiar noise. He descended the stairs to encounter his strange burglar. A fight ensued and, as the man told the reporters afterwards, “The woman must have been made of iron! I hit her on the chin three times until she hit me on the head with something like a bar of iron:” The name Annie came from a handkerchief which she dropped in the fight, which bore the name “Ann.” Thus was born the name “Iron Annie"; the fact that the handkerchief was traced and proved to be one stolen during one of Annie’s previous raids, did not deter the reporters. “Iron Annie” was news, and she looked as if she had come to stay. She might have stayed for some time, but for the ghastly thing which occurred during the latter part of .Tune, when “Iron Annie” entered a secluded house on the outskirts of

By George Stanley

f London, where the residents were in the habit of foolishly displaying their silver. At the time of the visit most of the large family who lived in the bouse had left on a Saturday for their holiday, leaving the nurse and young child behind. These were to have been taken down by car to join the rest of the party on the Sunday morning, by the owner of the house, who ’ had driven the remainder of the family to the coast on the Saturday morning. The unhappy man experienced trouble with his car on the Saturday evening as he was returning, and eventually arrived in the early hours of Sunday morning, i He opened the garage, ran his ear in. and entered the house by the communicating door. Then, as he switched on the light, he saw the • figure of the nurse, her face covered | in blood, lying upon the floor of the passage. j She was still alive, as was the young i child who had also been badly injured | by the inhuman midnight visitor, but j so serious were their injuries that the t hastily summoned doctor immediately j sent both to the local hospital, j When, at last, the nuifse could I speak, from the description she gave, l and the methods employed in gaining | entry to the house, the police were | satisfied that the crime could be laid to the door of “Iron Annie.” I The newspapers gave full play to j the violent assault,, as it occurred during a summer fteriod “dead” of other news. One of the many persons who read the details of the crime was a certain powerfully built man, and as he scanned the story printed by the less : sensational papers, his brown eyes i glinted. j “What a beast the woman must be!” he muttered, “to injure a child • like that. The nurse was bad enough, j I think we must deal with “Iron | Annie’ 1” * * * * There are certain places in the un- ! der strata of life in most cities where 1 members of the criminal fraternity gather to discuss each other. Most j of these haunts are known to the ■ police, and few of them, while they keep within reasonable limits of the j law, are not interfered with by the ! authorities. This apparent leniency of the powers-that-be is due to no i misguided sense of forbearance, but j rather to the fact that such haunts | provide “sounding boards” at which { the initialed can listen. I During the next few days The Black Pilgrim paid a number of visits to the criminal haunts in various parts of London, searching for some clues which would lead him to the identity which cloaked the female criminal “Iron Annie.” His efforts at first met with Ettle success, and a week had passed without the slightest scrap of information having been obtained. He continued , ; his efforts until, at last, in a low club ! near The Slephant and Castle, a few words shouted by a drunken woman, I gave him the scent which was to lead to the disposal of “Iron Anne” in a manner befitting her record. He had entered the “club” in company with a well-known criminal of Liie higher order, one llappy Jim Hardy, whose smiling face and benign manner had induced many a foolish stranger to part with his savings in an effort to get rich quick. The two had been sitting at a table for a few moments, discussing a big “job” which had been “pulled off” the previous day, in which the gang concerned had removed over thirty thousand pounds worth of jewellery. Suddenly a brawl broke out between two women who were sitting at a neighbouring table. One woman seized the other by the hair and had smashed the top of a glass tumbler against the table with only too obvious an intention, when a big hard faced woman, who had just entered the club, sprang forward. With one blow she had felled the 1 woman holding the shattered glass to I the floor. Then, wrenching the glass from her hand, stood waiting for her to rise. Before any more serious event could take place the four bartenders, whose duty it was to maintain order, had moved forward. Faced by the threatened attack the big woman flung down the shattered glass, while the other woman rose slowly to her feet, a glance of murderous hate upon her drunken face. She backed away until she had gained the exit leading to the street, and with the door half open ready for flight, pointed her finger at the big woman. “You think you're smart, don't yer! Y'ou murdering great brute! Y’ou don't scare me, Iron Annie, though! Wait till they get you and stretch your ‘iron’ neck for you!” She vanished through the door, which slammed behind her and, for an instant, there was a hushed silence. Then the babble of voices broke out again, but numerous hard glances were directed at the massive figure ot the big woman. She seemed to care nothing for those stares, and ordering two drinks, sat with her companion, sipping at the spirits as if unconscious of her surroundings. Although The Black Pilgrim had heard Lhe denunciation of the big woman, he carefully refrained from glancing in her direction. But, as soon as he could, he paid for his and Tlappy Jim Hardy's drinks, and left the flub. Hidden in a convenient doorway, he waited, watching for the appearance of •Iron Annie." He did not have long to wait, for presently she appeared in the lighted doorway the club, accompanied by the little woman whom she had rescued. The smaller woman was talking volubly and the concealed watcher shrank back further into his hiding place. “I'll basil her flat!” snarled the little woman. “You shut your face!” growled “Iron Annie." “All through you we've got to clear out. That swine has said enough to put the busies on my track. If I had time I’d finish her. Their voices trailed away in the distance, and they vanished round a corner. In an instant The Black Pil- ] grim had darted after them. He followed cautiously until he saw the two vanish into one of the tenements off the old Kent Road. Then, tak- ! ins: up a position from which he could ; keep observation in the entrance, he j waited. I Only fifteen minutes elapsed before j the two women emerged again, and i there was no possibility of mistaking j the grenadier-like figure of "Iron j Annie.” she bore two suit-cases,

and the littre woman a third. Both hurried away to the Old Kent Road and, as soon as they had emerged upon the lignted thoroughfare, they separated, obviously under some pre-ar-ranged scheme. For a moment their trailer hesitated, but his difficulty was solved for him. To his annoyance “Iron Annie” sprang upon the step of a nearly empty bus which accelerated violently and, before he could move, had shot into the traffic as the control lights changed to green. He looked back to see the small figure of the other woman weaving her way among the crowd, and had no difficulty in keeping her in sight. He saw her board a tramcar going the opposite way to the bus which “Iron Annie” had taken, and he gained the tram without being observed. Hidden behind a newspaper he sat waiting to see what would happen. He let the conductor pass him, saw the price of ticket which the little woman purchased, and obtained a similar one. It seemea flours before the tram had arrived ai the point where the little woman wanted to alight, but at last she stumbled from the car and gained the kerb ahead of an oncoming taxi-cab. incensed by this upset she swore violently at the driver, and it was obvious that the effects of the drink which she had taken earlier on in the evening had not entirely worn off. 1 Luckily she was in no condition to observe The Black Pilgrim as he swung off the tram as/ it began to move again. He followed as she » weaved her way along through a 1 series of dimly lighted streets, until she had arrived at a house over which was a lighted lamp bearing the word “beds." He drew back into the shadows and watched, pondering over his next action, and it was fortunate that he did so, for under the light of a neighbouring street lamp, he saw, coming towards him. the massive figure of “Iron Annie." He watched until she too had entered the house, then he hurried away, deciding that the two had evidently made up their minds to stop the night., at least, in the dismal looking house. Early the next morning he was back again on the watch, suitably disguised. Luck proved to be with him, for shortly after ten o'clock he saw the little woman emerge from the house, carrying her suit-case, and in the light of day she looked, if anything, worse than she had on the previous evening. She made her way to the local station. and The Black Pilgrim was able, without much trouble, to overhear the station to which She had hooked. To his surprise it proved to be a small i countrv station in Kent. | He allowed her time to pass to the platform, then he too hooked to the same station, realising that he would have little difficulty in discovering the address to which she was going in such a small place. He waited until the train was in. keeping on the watch in case “Iron iVa'Vew compartments away from the woman. .To he continued)