THRILLING ARREST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 303, 30 September 1940, Page 3

THRILLING ARREST

RECALLED BY POLICE OFFICER. A MURDERER AT LYTTELTON. The dramatic capture of rhe Timaru murderer, Reginald Matthews, at Lyttelton in 1920, was the highlight of the career of Mr David Jackson when he was in the Police Force. Mr Jackson celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday. He was stationed at Ashburton for same years after his stay at Lyttelton.

The arrest of Matthews must go down as one of the most thrilling in police history in the Dominion. Matthews was running along the inter - island steamer wharf carrying an automatic revolver. Alone, Mr Jackson faced him, being armed with an ordinary police revolver, Both fired, but as fate would have it, both revolvers jammed. But the story as related by Mr Jackson began in a cabin on the top deck of the Maori. Mr Jackson, who was sergeant in charge at Lyttelton at the time, was in Matthews’ cabin searching a portmanteau. Matthews entered the cabin, saw Mr Jackson, and disappeared toward the bow of the boat. He slipped over the side, down to the next deck, and so escaped on to tho wharf by the gangway. Immediately Mr Jackson rushed to the after gangway on to the wharf to cut off Matthews’ escape. The move was successful and. there they faced one another about 100 feet apart, revolvers aimed. But when both revolvers jammed, Matthews tried to make a dash for it. He struck his shoulder against a truck and fell over. Bullets flew everywhere. Constables Baynes and Heslop, who were behind Mr Jackson, pounced on the murdered, and after a brief struggle lie was handcuffed. During the shooting in the chase one'constable was shot in the leg, but Mr Jackson believes that if Matthews’ automatic had not jammed, only a rifle would have settled the issue as far as the police were concerned. Mr Jackson retired from the Force on September 29, 1925, with the rank of senior-sergeant.

His most exciting days were spent at Lyttelton during the war when overseas ships wore manned by the riff-raff from ports all over the world. At times there was a real “donnybrook,” said Mr Jackson, but lie had the help of an excellent team of men, including Senior-Sergeant J. Bickerdike, now at Christchurch.