The Washington herald., 1922-07-17
LONDON CONDUCTS
RADIO MAN-HUNT
WITH fine RESULTS
Newspaper Sends Sleuth
Out With Receiver
To Get Orders.
TAKES 2 MESSAGES
Instructions Are Picked up
By Stations All Over
Island.
TAKES 2 MESSAGES

A sensational man hunt via radio
was conducted by the London Daily
Mail recently to test the possibility
OF successfully running down GRIM
inals by this method. The Chief
Constables Association, in con-
junction with the Marconi company,
assisted the Daily Mail. 1t was sat
movements of a criminal could be
traced and this information given
instant dissemination by radio.
A detective from headquarters in
London was equipped with a radio
receiver inclosed in a a suit case
and instructed to follow any path.
but to listen-in for orders at GER
tain hours.
Fishing Rod Aerial.
He left London for an unknown
destination. with instructions that
wherever he might be at 1920 a.
III. lie " dS ~ ne
ceivine set. At 1915 he was in the
neighborhood of Broomfield, near
Chelmsford Jointing a fishing rod,
he placed one end in the ground
and by I" piece of wire running the
length of the rod connected it with
his suit case.
On the stroke of 1920 he heard a
voice calling "2BB-I have a mes
sage for you"
This message was from Marconi
House. in London. thirty-five miles
away:
Wanted at Chesterfield on a
charge of obtaining food and money
value 5s by false pretenses from
William Stiggles, with intent to de-
fraud, on May 81, 1922, Frank Bee
croft. alias Bennett and Merchant; ;
no fixed abode; ships cook; aged
32. height 5 feet 4le inches; brown
hair, inclined to be curly; hazel
eyes, mole under right eye. War
rant issued. Information to chief
constable. Chesterfield, at Spring
Gardens"
An immediate acknowledgment of
the message was dispatched, to be
sent by wireless telephone to the
chief constable of Chesterfield. and
the detective set out on his search
for Frank Beecroft.
Gets Second Message.
BY IL a. m. he had Travelled some
miles, and re-ercting his fishing
rod he received at 1905 the follow
ing:
The apprehension of John Snug
gins, who is known to you, is urg-
emily required in connection with
the great pearl mystery. Smuggins
is known to have been in Danbury
on Thursday night. Proceed there
with all dispatch and convey Snug
gins to Chelmsford for inteeroga-
ton. Report result as speedily as
possible"
1t was 11:10 by the time the
message was completed and con-
firmed. and Danbury was nine miles
off. BY the use OF a swift car the
detective" was in Danhury at
1870 and had secured the appre-
hension of the man he sought.
From the time the message was
sent out from London, about forty
miles away. barely twenty minutes
had elapsed-it took more than
double that zine to get a telephone
message from Danbury to London
announcing the fact.
The messages were picked up in
many places. 1t was heard by
Iisteners-in at places as far distant
as Birkdale. near Southport (2l3
miles from London): Creditor,
Devon 160 miles); LANDAU. Gla-
morgan G5S miles): Otlcy. York
shire G97 miles): and Wilmington.
Lancashire GS4 miles,.
A wide area of England was thus
covered, and it is highly probable
that the message would have had
still wider circulation if it could
have been sent out at time more
convenient to amateurs.
The interesting part of the en-
tire experiment was the fact that
hundreds of listeners-in heard the
exchange of Communications between
detective headquarters and the pur-
apply of course to accomplices of
the criminal. but with a system of
coded messages and the overwhelm-
ing majority of listeners-in who
would assist rather than battle the
detectives the experiment opened
many new phases of criminal de-
lection and apprehension by officers
of the law.