(A look at some of the stories that made the news ‘back-in-the-day’ with CLIFFORD STANLEY)

Another lawyer
MR. RUPERT Trim, Guianese Barrister-at-Law, who recently qualified in England, is on his way home.
Mr. Trim, who was employed by the London County Council, managed to study law in his spare time, and has succeeded.
He did exceptionally well in his studies.
(Guiana Graphic: November 9, 1960)

Running cop blasted to death
-body found in trench
IN TYPICAL western ‘stick-up-style’, a policeman was blasted to death in a savannah in Berbice yesterday morning.

“Hands up, Mr. Hazel,” the 44-year-old cop was told by the crouching gunman as he was about to enter the house of a married woman.

And after a pursuit duel of some 120 yards, the policeman was laid flat with a revolver shot that pierced his heart and damaged his lung.

Three hours later, Albert Alexander Hazel was fished out of a five-foot-deep trench by detectives who were taken to the spot where he fell after receiving the fatal shot.

The shooting drama touched off a big manhunt in the Ancient County, which had been hit by no less than seven serious crimes over the past few months.

Crime Chief, Frank de Abreu dashed up to Berbice to join Superintendent Carl Austin, who had cordoned off the area around Savannah Park Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam,  where the shooting took place.

Then during the day, a message was flashed to all police stations throughout the country to look out for a seaman, who it is said will be able to give useful information in connection with the shooting.

The man’s name was given as John Craigwell, 44, about five feet, seven inches tall. He is of thin build, with a scar under his left eye. He is dark and has a straight nose.

Craigwell works on the American ship, ‘Carl Schemedan’.

He returned home unexpectedly on Wednesday.

About 11:45 o’clock on Wednesday night, Hazel, who was a visitor to the woman’s home at Savannah Park Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam, was heard to lock his bicycle outside the house.

A few minutes, later a voice said: “Are you Mr. Hazel? Put your hands up!”

A revolver bullet in the bowels, which did not penetrate deeply, is believed to have sent the cop running along the embankment of the nearby trench.
He was pursued by the gunman, who finally shot him through the heart, puncturing his lungs.

A post mortem examination held later in the day revealed that he died before falling into the trench.

Constable Hazel, who is survived by a wife and eight children, was buried yesterday afternoon with full military honours.

But up to late last night, his attacker was still at large, and it is believed that the gunman may still be armed with the revolver.
(Guiana Graphic: November 11, 1960)

Bongo nights
FRESH from a roaring success in Latin America and the Western Hemisphere comes the long-awaited show extravaganza, ‘Ossie’s Coed Bongo Nights’.

The event features the ‘Red Devil’ dancer, Senorita Conchita; calypso and limbo expert, Lord Rigby; the versatile little giants, Sam Dopie and King Vic; the queen of songs, Lady Monica; plus guest artistes Sam Chase and Fats Martin.

Music by Clem Thomas and his Bongo Nights nine-piece orchestra this Thursday, December 1, at 8:45pm at the Globe.
Tickets on sale in advance: Pit, 50cents; Balcony, $1.50; and Box, $2.00.
(Guiana Graphic: November 27, 1960)

Help! My monkey’s on the loose
A MONKEY is giving the Georgetown Fire Brigade, the RSPCA, and Zoo their biggest headache.

They “don’t know what to do” to catch the screaming monkey, who has already bitten a parson’s cook in Kitty.

But what has Jack’s owner, a lawyer’s clerk, worried is the damage he may have to pay in the end, after the monkey has completed his wild roaming.

Mr. Joe Bryant’s monkey escaped on Monday, and since then the middle-aged clerk has been having sleepless nights trying to recapture his pet.

‘Jack’, on the other hand, has been visiting a number of people in the district by climbing through their windows and stealing eatables.

On Thursday morning, he entered the home of a clergyman.

When the cook attempted to chase him away, he bit her.

Since then, Mr. Bryant has made futile attempts to recapture ‘Jack’,  and has asked the Fire Brigade, RSPCA and officials of the zoo to catch the “wicked monkey.”

A Fire Brigade officer told the Graphic last night that the monkey is very sensitive and elusive, and very difficult to capture.
(Guiana Graphic: November 27, 1960)

Gunman holds woman hostage
-cop killer commits suicide
JOHN Craigwell, the gunman who shot dead a police constable, killed himself yesterday after holding hostage a pretty 22-year-old woman for nine hours.

The 44-year-old seaman brought a dramatic end to one of the biggest manhunts in the history of the Ancient County when he drilled a hole through his neck with a revolver in a last-minute stand against the police in a little Stanleytown cottage.

The climax of the murder-suicide came as 24 policemen moved up undercover to the house where the wanted gunman was known to be in hiding.
Superintendent Carl Austin, who led the party, called on the gunman to surrender.

There was silence, then a shot from a gun shattered the silence.

The woman who was held hostage was seen to run out of the house at 58 Stanleytown as the police closed in.

Then the first policeman who crept into the house found their wanted man lying on his back with a revolver in his hand.

Craigwell was dead.

But in the revolver were five live rounds, with 43 more in one of his shoes, which he had taken off.

His neck was ripped away on the left side, and blood flowed down his red striped shirt.

About eight o’clock yesterday morning, 32 hours after he had shot Constable Albert Hazel  who was about to visit his wife, Craigwell walked into the home of Inez Gopie, who lived two miles from the shooting drama.

“I am the gunman for whom the police are looking,” he said, then threatened to shoot her if she tried to escape from the house.
Last night, Inez Gopie told the Graphic: “It was my greatest ordeal… I was scared to death.”

Craigwell, who worked on the ‘SS Carl Schemedan’, arrived by plane and travelled up to Berbice unexpectedly on Wednesday night.
(Guiana Graphic: November 12, 1960)

(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or by telephone: 657-2043)