Crippen's Arrest

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 117, 19 September 1941, Page 5

Crippen's Arrest

T this time there was a ship called the Montrose bound from Antwerp to Montreal. She was a very slow moving passenger ship. The Captain’s attention had been specially drawn to a father and son, who were among the passengers. What had attracted particular notice, was the fact that the son had a curious habit of squeezing his father’s hand in,a most affectionate manner. Upon hearing the description of the missing couple over the air, the Captain began to suspect that these were the two fugitives sought by the police, and he decided to subject them to closer scrutiny. As a result of this the Captain became quite satisfied that the pair were indeed Crippen and his typist, now masquerading as father and son. Scotland Yard was at once notified by wireless. A police inspector immediately took passage in the Laurentic, a fast passenger ship,

which, despite the start of the Montrose, would arrive in Canada ahead of it. The whole world now watched this thrilling race across the Atlantic between the two liners. The only people who were not aware 1 if

of the race were the passengers on the Montrose itself. The Laurentic won the race easily, and before the Montrose berthed in Canada the police were aboard her, and arrested Crippen and the girl. It was the first time in history that wireless had been used as an aid to criminal investigation.-(" Famous Cases," by a Dunedin Barrister, 4Y A, September 3.)