Southern Organs Case

Description: Some years later, Cracknell was approached by Norman Luck, chief crime reporter of the national newspaper, THE DAILY EXPRESS. Luck stated that the newspaper was prepared to hire Cracknell with a view to him solving a mystery surrounding two men, Miller and Bellord. Both were businessmen who had set up a company selling electrical organs. They had disappeared a month previously and it had soon become established that they had been operating a scam involving 6m pounds. They were now being sought by the police, but without success thus far. Luck showed Cracknell two photographs of the men in question. Cracknell gave him two pieces of information – one that Miller had a defective left leg and walked with the aid of a walking stick, and both men were involved with the Church. He also felt that a prominent Bishop was involved. It was the connection with the Church that fired Luck's imagination. He told Cracknell that this information had not been released but he, himself, was aware of it. Cracknell then became totally immersed in the case, having access to the men's property-possessions and, accompanied by Luck, interviewed many of their friends. As a result of meeting and interviewing one Jeff Green, a prominent racing driver, Cracknell told Luck that Green not only knew where the men were, but he had been responsible for secreting them away. Confronted with this, Green denied all knowledge. However, Cracknell insisted he was correct, and that also he was confident that the men were hiding in Ullapool, on the West Coast of Scotland. The newspaper printed this information and asked the Police for their comment. The detective in charge, one Detective Fickweiller, made a statement that although the Police knew Ullapool to be one of the men's favourite holiday resorts, extensive enquiries and searches at the beginning of the case revealed they were not there. Of this they were confident. When commenting on Cracknell's statement, he said, "We deal in facts – and do not listen to cranks!" This statement was also published nationally. Cracknell was incensed by this and made an official complaint, challenging the Police to prove him wrong. During a meeting with the Police, Cracknell stated: They are definitely in the Ullapool area – somewhere near, or connected with, the church.' He then made the boldest of public statements to the media; that they would be arrested in three days' time. In the meantime, Jeff Green had become extremely concerned. He went to the Police and confessed that he had in fact secreted them away. Three days later, as Cracknell had predicted, they were arrested in Ullapool. They had been hiding on a small island – just off the coast, named Priest Island. Both men were convicted and served prison sentences. Cracknell received a public apology and states that this was one of his most important cases, which changed his direction and convinced him that psychic intuition was not enough. One also had to apply logic and conventional detection methods. Had he studied an ordinance survey map of the area, he would have found the reason for the connection with a church – by finding Priest Island on the map.