Runaway Lads Armed for the Backwoods.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 4193, 24 November 1883, Page 7 (Supplement)

Runaway Lads Armed for the Backwoods.

Many extraordinary scenes lmvo been enacted on the Liverpool Landing-stage, and many remarkable instances have occurred of runaways being caught there by tho vigilance of tho Liverpool police. Ono of the.so strange captures occurred on tho ntugo ono Wednesday in September. Ono of tho oilieera who lias for a long period done duty on tho stage is Police-constable NOi 546 (Wigganu), an old member of tho city force, while watching tho departures for America WigganH noticed two youths, of evident respectibilty, strutting about tho stage, flourishing heavily • mounted sticks, and whoso extraordinary bulky appearance about the wuist attracted the Keen otlicer's attention. He put a lew questions to them, from which he ascertained that they hud como from Lancaster, and that it was their intention to procee/J to America. Thero was something suspicious about the youths, and Wiggans took them into the river police station on tho stage. Ho thcro searched them, and found that each youth was wearing a " bushman's bolt," to which was suspended a six-chambered revolver (loaded) and a formidable bowio knife. The ollicer ascertained that tho youths had been reading romantic stories of lifo in the backwoods, such as aro depicted by Fcuniinoro Cooper in tho "Last of tho Mohicans," and Captain Maync Kcid in hie description of adventuros on tho prairies. The youths, wJfc) woto about IS years of age, and named Jowittand Wilson, were respectably connected, and belonged to Lancaster. Ono of them had taken twenty -fix sovereigns belonging to his father. They had run away from home, como to Liverpool, and purchased an outfit, including tiie revolvers, ammunition,and bowioknives, suitable for tho wild lifo of adventuro that they had pictured for themselves. They had taken passages to Now York intholnmnn steamer City of Richmond, and had upon them a considerable sum of money in American dollars. Wiggans escorted tho youths to tho detective ollicc in Dale-street; their parents in Lancaster wore telegraphed to, informing them of what had occurred, and they took tho runaways brick to thoir homes.—"Liverpool Post."