Donald Alexander Shepherd ALCHIN

SERGEANT D. ALCHIN.

Detective-sergeant Donald Alchin died at the Royal North Shore Hospital yesterday at the age of 52 years.

Detective-sergeant Alchin Joined the police force in 1907, and served a short period in uniform before being transferred to the plainclothes branch, and then to the Criminal Investigation Branch.

He was very successful as a detective, and played a leading part in solving a number of crimes, most important, perhaps, being his work in securing the clue which led to the arrest of an Italian gang at the Commercial Banking Company’s branch in Castlereagh-street a few years ago.

The gang was arrested red-handed on the premises.

Detective Alchin is survived by Mrs. Alchin and a young son.

The Interment will take place in the Northern Suburbs Cemetery this afternoon, after a service at Christ Church. Lavender Bay, commencing at 2 o’clock.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16782223

100 POLICE HEAD CORTEGE FUNERAL OF DETECTIVE

One hundred policemen in uniform marched at the head of the funeral of the late Detective-Sergeant Alchin, through the streets of North Sydney yesterday, the cortege being nearly half a mile long.

The pall-bearers were Detective-Sergeants Ryan, Eaton, Garlick, Regan, Mackie and Wilson, and others present included Superintendent Mackay, C.I.B., Inspectors Pattinson ( representing the Commissioner of Police ), Scott, Mortimer and Prior, and ex-Inspector Young.

Rev. Frank Cash held a short service in Christ Church, Lavender Bay, before the funeral moved off, and at the graveside, at Northern Suburbs Cemetery, the Masonic funeral service was conducted by Wor. Bro. W. Whitehead. W.M.. Lodge Glebe, assisted by Bros. G. S. Jackson. P.M.. F. H. Williams. P.M.. W. Kilner. S.M., and W. Andrews, treasurer.

Too Clever for ” The King “

DETECTIVE SERGEANT ” DON ” ALCHIN DEAD

Recognised as a man who knew more about foreign criminals and their methods than anyone in the Criminal Investigation Branch, the police force lost one of its cleverest detectives by the death, after a long illness, of Det-Sergeant Donald Alchin.

If ‘Don’ Alchin had done nothing else of note in a career of over twenty years, he would have been entitled to the great reputation he had in the C.I.B. for his work in the sensational arrest of Lucci ( ” The King ” ) and his famous gang of Italian cracksmen.

Australia has never known a gang so daring, so cunning, and so successful in their operations, as the Italian of whom Lucci, son of an Italian police chief, was leader.

Using giant cutters and tools which opened safes as if they had been made of tin, the gang brought off coup after coup, outwitting detectives at every turn. Det.Sergeant Alchin was the man who finally got on their tracks, and after weeks of relentless search finally ran them to earth.

It was Alchin who learnt of their plans to rob a Castlereagh Street bank, and he was the leader of a posse of detectives who arrested the gang at revolver-point just as they were about to set to work on a strong-room confining thousands of pounds.

Alchin brought to book many foreign criminals, mainly Italians, and was an expert on coining cases.