History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

In the late 1920s and early 30s there were a large number of suspicious fires in business premises and claims for insurance. This is the extraordinary story of how one man solved the fraud cases and brought the gang of fire starters to trial. Like all good stories we have a hero William Charles Crocker, and a villain Leopold Harris.    William Charles Crocker     Leopold Harris In April 1926 there was a meeting between Louis Jarvis and Italian-born Camillo ‘Cappa’ Capsoni, who was an agent for Continental Silks. One of his customers, Jarvis who lived in Deerhurst Road off Willesden Lane, told him he had just had a fire at his premises in 14 Margaret Street Marylebone. Cappa who had flat in the same street, said he was very sorry to hear it, but Jarvis did not seem at all put out, and with a broad grin, said he had received £21,500 (today worth about £1.7M) from the insurance claim. Cappa saw that with the right backers he could make money. The following year, he...