Evening star., 1948-09-06
Tom TiddIer's S Trade
Causes Most Work fc:
London River Police
By Fred Sporks
Foreign Correspondent Of The sior and
the CHICAGO Dolly News

me lhico9o Oohr news
/ LONDON. Sept. g. Sparks,
said a voice on the other end of the
wire, this is Scotland Yard Re-
port to the foot of Waterloo Bridge
at once. 1t will be possible for you
to see our river division in action.
Hopeful of gun battles along the
Thames I hastened to the edge Of
London's "old man river" which
winds from the sea through the
heart of this capital.
Under the bridge found police
station built on a houseboat. There
met a huge man-"Inspector Will
liam BroWnfleld, sir, been on the
river 27 years.
1 Standing up to about the inspec-
tors beltline was U Ba Aye, assist
ant police commissioner of Ran
COON, who is studying British police
methods.
Boards 30-Foot Launch.
We climbed into a 30-foot launch
one of 35 used by Scotland Yard
to patrol SO miles of sloppy river
front.
We cruised under Tower Bridge
past line of warehouses damaged
In the Nazi air raids.
! Suddenly the radio in the cabin
blared: Suspicious men unloading
from barge alongside Dutch boat
. source, Watchman."
Under way now, Peters," said In
spector Brownfield to the helms
man. "The watchman gave the
squeak but he's left the bird and it
might have flown"
The launch cut through the wa
tiers soaring some snoozing gulls.
We "hit the beach" next to the
Dutch freighter.
Mr.. Ba Aye asked: Have you any
Instruments"
No Weapons Carried.
/ BY instruments" I gathered Mr..
Ba Aye meant guns. But this float
ing division of Scotland Yard is
/ just as peace loving as the pave
ment Founders, and there wasn't a
pair OF knuckle busters in the crowd.
I'm Rangoon," said Mr.. Ba Aye,
puffing, we never approach a wharf
unless we are we'll covered by heavy
instruments. They shoot police in
my city-poof!-just like that"
We ran alongside of the barge in
question and there stood the watch
man. He shrugged his shoulders
and Inspector BroWnfield said: Just
as feared-they've flown
But the intended loot was very
much in evidence. 1t included
casks of rum, wine, cartons of Gig
arettes and box of watches"
A little smuggling going on all
right" said the inspector. We'll
check on that barge's registration"
We stopped at another houseboat |
police station to see what was going
on.
Merchant Seaman Booked.
They were just booking a young
merchant seaman-22-for stealing
sugar from a barge
He had false pockets, this one,"
said the desk sergeant.
Go ahead now, show the Ameri-
can your false pockets
The lad pulled his pockets inside
out and they extended well below
his knees.
He filed his pockets full of sugar
from the galley" said the sergeant.
And tried to walk off the ship
one Of our plainclothesmen didn't
like his looks and slapped his hips
sugar; that's precious stuff these
days"
That's the only type Of crime we
have these days" said the desk
sergeant, signing. Tom Tiddler's
trade"
Tom Tiddler's trade I learned,
means sneak thief.
We showed off again to continue
to patrol and tea was served in
the cabin.
Suicides Are Problems.
Thing I hate most" said Inspec-
tor Brownfleld, dunking a cake, "is
suicides"
More than 100 people jump in
the river each year. We had a fell
low last night-took us two hours
to fish him out Now he was a
neat one. Went off the bridge and
before he did he left us nice note
saying he was sorry to be causing
any trouble"
Il searched that one, I did" said
the radioman, who had overheard
our discussion.
You'd do anything for a pound"
laughed the inspector. The Yard b
pays one pound tS4 in extras for.
searching a floating one. 1t can
be mighty nasty. And there's an
other pound for taking the finger
prints"
The inspector was interested now
in two fellows in a roWboat half
-.