AN EXCITING CHASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 140, 14 June 1888, Page 8

AN EXCITING CHASE.

Constable Kelso made a somewhat clever capture early this morning. He was on duty in Queen-street and about 3.15 a.m. he was passing near the Thistle Hotel, when he noticed a man leave the side entrance of the hotel. He went straight into the centre of the road and then walked smartly to the corner of Wellesley-street East, •which he turned round. Kelso's suspicions being aroused, he promptly followed the man, and upon turning the corner saw that he must have been running in order to geb the start he did. Kelso gave chase, whereupon the man ran round the corner of Lorneetreet. Keleo saw him throw a parcel from him, which smashed in the middle of the road. As it sounded like breaking glass, tho constable's suspicions were confirmed. He did a smart run, and succeeded in capturing the man in Victoria-streeb East. Kelso asked him what he had thrown out into the street. At first the man said "Nothing." Kelso then brought him back to the spot, where he found a broken bottle. The man then said, " Oh, that's a bottle of rum which 1 got from tho chaps at the Customs." Kelso naturally asked why he threw it away and also ran from him. The man replied that he was afraid he would get the Customs chaps into trouble. Kelso then took the prisoner to the Thistle Hotel and knocked the occupants up. He found th.c side door ajar. On the way to the hotel he was joined by Constable Addison. A little search showed that a bottle of rum and a bottle of whisky were missing. Kelso noticed the man drop a key, which he picked up. This was identified as the key of the door of the cellar. The barman and Mrs Coyle recognised the' prisoner as a man who-j had a drink just as the house was being locked up. He disappeared so quickly that they hunted for hitn afterwards. As the front door had then been locked it was thought at last that he must have gone out by the back door. It isiipw supposed that..he must have made his way to the cellar and hidden there until the early morning and then endeavoured to escape with whatever he could take away. Constable Kelso took the man to the station, where his name was entered as William Anderson Crombic. Later on, Kelso went over the ground he had previously traversed, and succeeded in recovering the bottle of whisky. Crombie appeared at the Police Court this morning, before Messrs S. Y. Collins and McLacnlan, justices, when ho was charged witn breaking out of the hotel. On the application of Sergeant-Major Pratt the prisoner was remanded until to-morrow. He applied for bail, which was granted, bim3elf in £50 and two sureties of £25 each.