Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-06

Branch was anxious to keep the mat
ter exceedingly quiet. With the
photograph went line OF apparently
innocuous caption; but translated by
those who knew, it read: "lnforma-
ton wanted on this person dating
later than May r."
The notice had to be rushed lnto
print and the figure of the pefsplf-
ing editor over damp proof sheets
which I proposed as part of the pic
ture puzzle at the head of this ar
ticle. makes his appearance at TINS
phase of the hunt. Bundles of these
newspapers fresh from the presses
were thrown into little closed green
motors and rushed to the different
police stations in London: othefs
were mailed to police throughout the
country: still others went to every one
of Sir Basil's correspondents, lar
flung over Europe and Asia.
TWO hours later there reported to
L. Special Branch the second flg~
ure of our puZZle-a quiet weather
beaten man in double breasted biue
coat and trousers and blue peaked
hat. on which two anchors in silver
were crossed.
He was part of Scotland Yards
uniformed force. a Thames River
bobby. a member of that outwardiy
unassuming and actually picturesque
notice cs London's waterfront.
He had come to report something
In connection with the photograph OF
the young East Indian about whom
information was wanted. 1t seems
that this Thames River bobby was
sitting in his little dinghy near
Waterloo Bridge two days AFTER me
prince had disappeared, quietly
smoking his pipe. The bobby did not
know at the time that prince was
being searched for.
The night was soft with approach
ing Summer. Down the river came
a gay little open launch with party
of four young men on board. appar-
emily bound on pleasure. One or
them was the young East Indian or
the photograph. What had drawn
the attention of the bobby--Who
among many other picturesque
duties acts as traffic officer on the
WATERWAYS that the port light on
the launch was almost out.
The bobby took hold OF his oars,
pulled to midstream and. meeting
the launch, warned its occupants
that their light was dim. 1t was
then that he saw the young man OF
the photograph. He was apparently
asleep, his head resting on the
shoulder of a companion. VINO Also
seemed ready to fall asleep.
The other two young men, both
white. were singing in manner
that told the bobby of stops at re-
freshment places for something
stronger than tea. But there was
nothing otherwise out of the way
about the whole party.
AS the young man at the wheel
seemed only gay, without being In
| the least "plattered," the bobby con-
tented himself with a warning about
| the light. and on being politely met
with a compliance of his order, he
pulled his dinghy back to shore.
There he made a note OF the occur
renee in his notebook, including the
name on the bow of the launch, a
thing he was bound to do by police
regulations. But his trained memory
also subconsciously recorded the
faces of the young men. This note
came wildly into consciousness when
the bobby got his copy of Printed
Information, the morning newspaper
of Scotland Yard, containing the
photograph Of the Prince.
The bobby recognized the photo
graph and came to Scotland Yard to
report what he knew and something
he learned later. The later informa-
| ton was that the launch had been
stolen farther up the river, but had
| been abandoned near the mouth of the
Thames and restored to it's owners by
the police.
Special Branch was impressed with
| the bobby's report. Tt told them that
they had an exceedingly clever gang
to play against. That it was a kid