◆ SpookStack

Both Traced to France Immediately the flight was kacsn. sll, possiblé as taken in the United Kingdom, and the French and other con- tinental security authorities were asked fo trace the where- abouts of the fugitives and ‘if possible io intercept them, All British Consulates in Westerti Eurape were alerted and spe- elai efforts were made ta dis- covey whether the fugitives had crossed the French fronticra on May 26 or 27, As a result. of these and other enquiries it was established that Maclean and Burgess together left .Tatsfield by ear for Southampton in the late evening of Friday, May 25,’ arrived at Sauthampten at mid- hight, caught the §. S, Falaise for St. Malo. and disembarked at that port at 11.45 the follaw- lng morning, léaving suitcases and same of their clothing on board. They were not seen on the train fron St. Male to Paris and it hag been reported that two men, believed to be-Mac- lean and Burgess, took a taxi ta Rennes and there got the 1:18 P.M. train to Paris, Noth- ing more was seen of them. Since the disappearance vari- Gus communications have been. received from them by aram- : bers of their families, On June op 7, 1951, telegrams ostensibly from . Maclean” wale received hy his mother, Lady Maclean, and his wife, Mrs. Melinda Maclean, who “ere both at that time ia the United Kingdom, ‘The tele- gram ta Lady Maclean was a short personal message, signed by a anick-name known only within the immediate family circle. It merely stated that. ail was well, That addressed to Mrs, Maclean was similar, ex- pressing regret for the unex- | pected departure and wags signed *Donald.” Both telegrams ware dis- patched in Paris on the eve. ning of June 6. Their receipt Was at oncé reported to the se- curity authorities, but if wag impossible to identify the per~ on or persons who had handed them in. The oviginat telegraph forma showed, however; that the messages had heen written vina Rahd which wag clearly not Maclean's, The character of the handwriting. and stme mis- apelling, suggested that belh telegrams had been written by a. foreigner, On June 7, 1951, a telegram was received in‘London by Mrs. Bassett, Burgess’ mother. It ; contdineteehart and a flere 5 ate personal message, together with @ statement that the - | nm c