āFind Mystery Radio Station, Grab Suspect,ā Toronto Star. January 17, 1941. Page 1 & 2.
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CAPTURED IN HIS ROOM, RADIO MECHANIC CUTS RAIDING OFFICERāS HEAD
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Police Say Secret Station Capable of Broadcasting Over 1,000-Mile Radius
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HID IN OLD AUTO
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A travelling radio transmitting station, ingeniously constructed in the body of an old model car, has been seized by police. The car was traced to an east end garage after a monthās work by city, R.C.M.P. and provincial police after complaints from radio fans all over Ontario that a station identifying itself as CPC was broadcasting anti-British and communistic propaganda each night at 9.
Headquarters of the R.C.M.P. announced today they are holding Allan B. Parsons, 26, alias James Carlyle. They described Parsons as an unemployed radio mechanic, a native of Toronto, who recently returned from Schumacher, Ont., where he had been working. He is charged under the Defence of Canada regulation. Police say accused had a registration card in the name of Allan Carylye.
Cut Officerās Head
In an early morning raid, Parsons was surprised in his room and tried, police say, to fight his way through the squad of raiding officers. He struck Constable Mascall of the R.C.M.P. over the head with a flashlight. The officerās head was cut. Charged with assaulting the police, he pleaded guilty before Magistrate Browne on this charge and was remanded for a later hearing on the other charge and for sentence on the assault charge.
Parsons occupied a room in a house in the Woodbine district. Police would not reveal its location, saying they were convinced the landlady knew nothing about her tenant. In his room, police say, they found a short wave receiving set and a large quantity of radio supplies. The set was dismantled by experts of the radio transport division of the federal government and the parts were seized.
It was a special transmitting detector operated by this division that led police to the place of transmission. They were able to follow the car to an east end garage. Police state the car was driven to various lonely suburban districts and parked out of sight. The antenna was strung through the trees and script allegedly read over a microphone that was rigged up above the steering wheel. Script was seized and police it is Communistic propaganda.
Also in the car, police said, was a set of spurs similar to those used by linemen. There was a tent, camping equipment, shovels, picks and other tools.
For 1,000-Mile Radius
The set was capable of transmitting over a radius of 1,000 miles, police said they were informed by experts. It broadcast on a metre band of 49. Residents of Toronto and district reported hearing the broadcasts on many occasions and said they were quite strong and clear.
The painstaking job of tracing the transmitter took many long nights of work. Often when the airways detectives thought they were gettingĀ āhotā the transmitting, car either moved from its location or the trail was lost through some other interference in the ether.
The garage where the car was found is a short distance from Parsonsā rooming house. There was nothing on the exterior to arouse suspicion, but the interior had many panels into which the set was built, police say. The setās generator was attached to the engine of the car and the engine drove it, police explained.
Members of the intelligence branch of the R.C.M.P. in Toronto worked under Superintendent V. A. M. Kemp and they co-operated with Detectives Dan Mann and William French of the Toronto police and Inspector Alex Wilson of the provincial police.
When coming on the air, the announced would say:Ā āThis is the peopleās station, CPC.ā
Lasted 30 Minutes
The talks lasted 30 minutes and at the conclusion the speaker would give the date and time of his next broadcast. For a while they were on nightly and then two or three times a week,
Investigation for persons associated with the suspect is continuing, R.C.M.P. stated. To date they said their investigations have revealed much of the activities of those known to be connected with the Communist party in Toronto and district. It is said the work of spreading propaganda against the war is increasing and many of their recent leaflets have assailed Premier King.
Photo caption:
POLICE FIND ELUSIVE RADIO STATION ON WHEELS AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS
Travelling Radio Station
Built into the body of this old model car (1), which police have seized, was a radio transmitting station capable of transmitting over a radius of 1,000 miles. The car was traced to an east end garage after a monthās work by city, R.M.C.P., and provincial police.
Equipment Galore
Complaints from radio fans all over Ontario that a station,identifying itself as CPC, was broadcasting anti-British and Communist propaganda nightly, started police on the track. Tied about the rear bumper of the car (2) were wires, an axe, shovel, and other equipment allegedly used in setting up a broadcasting station in lonely country fields.
Special Generator Fitted Into Engine Powered Sending Set
Police are holding Allan B. Parsons, 26, alias James Carlyle, an unemployed radio mechanic. When they raided his room, he allegedly tried to fight his way through, striking one officer on the head with a flashlight. The transmitting boy with controls (3) was set up on the rear seat of the car, the setās special generator bring fixed into the engine as shown in (4).0 The engine, police say, drove the generator. A short wave receiving set and large quantities of aerial wire and other radio supplies (5) were seized in the raid on the accusedās room in the Woodbine district.