THE TARANAKI HIGHWAYMAN

Press, Volume L, Issue 8541, 22 July 1893, Page 9

THE TARANAKI HIGHWAYMAN

ARREST IN AN HOTEL.

HIS CAPTOR WOUNDED.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM. )

NEW PLYMOUTH, Jnly 21.

A highwayman was caught last night aa about eleven o'clock. He bailed up the Criterion Hotel, and presented a pistol at Mrs Cottier. Inspector Thompson's son, Harold, who was in the hotel, knocked the man down. The highwayman fired, wounding young Thompson in the side, but not seriously. Assistance being at hand, the man was held down on the floor till the police arrived. The man's name is Wallath, and he was dressed in Volunteer uniform and hod two revolvers loaded.

Mr Harold Thompson's account of his encounter with the highwayman is that he was at the side bar in the Criterion Hotel, and saw a man in a military uniform at the opposite bar, who pointed a revolver at Mrs Cottier. Some one called out, "It's the highwayman," and Mrs Cottier told the man to move on. The highwayman went along the*passage and Mr Thompson ran round the passage to meet him, aud the two met at the foot of the staircase. Wallath then fired his revolver, hitting Thompson on the left side. Thompson theu rushed the man, seized hxm by the throat, and a severe struggle ensued. Thompson struck his antagonist, when Charles Holmes came to his assistance, and the man was thrown on the floor and held there till a constable came aad handcuffed him. The man had on an old volunteer uniform coat, white striped serge trousers, patent leather crossbelt with cartouche box, blue serge helmet, with red volunteer feather fastened in a zinc plate, * black goat's hair false beard, and a mask of blue merino.

Mr Charl.3 Holmes gives the following account of the highwayman's affair :—He was at the side bar and saw the highwayman at the opposite bar. He was dressed in an officer's uniform with red tunic, and had a mask over his face. The man went up the passage, and Mr Thompson ran to meet him. Holmes followed Thompson, who tackled the highwayman. The latter fired as soon as Thompson rushed at him, and Holmes went to Thompson's assistance and caught hold of the revolver which? the highwayman had in his hand. It was a five-chambered revolver, and four of the chambers were loaded and capped when he got hold of it. He had another revolver in his belt. In the struggle the whole of thenfell down, but they held the hiahwayman till he was handcuffed by the police. The man made a desperate struggle, and had he not been disarmed might have used the revolver again. Mrs Cottier, in her account of the highwayman affair, says she was standing at the bar talking to Mr Simmons when the highwayman came id. He presented a revolver at her, and said "Boil up." She thought it was a joke, smiled, and said " Pass on." She thought it was a Volunteer in uniform having a "lark " and did not feel in the least frightened. He passed out and she shortly afterwards heard a shot fired,* and called out " Help." Someone said **" I believe Mrs Cottier is shot," She then went to the staircase and saw the highwayman on the floor being held <lown. He appeared to have fainted and she got some water to revive him. Mr Cottier waa in bed at the time, not being very well. \ Dr. O'Carrou states that Mr Thompson, who had the tussle with the highwayman, had a couple of leaden pellets in hiss. The wound is a comparatively slight one, but it was a very narrow escape. He believes the man must have fired at Thompson's heart, but in the struggle the charges glanced off. In about five inches there are four distinct cuts in his coat, indicating the entrance and exit of two pellets. He examined the prisoner in the lock-up, and he shows indications of being knocked on the right leg ox struck with a heavy stick. The prisoner stated to Dr. O'Carrcll that he would have made it hot had it not been for young Thompson, and that there were too many for him. Afterwards the prisoner appeared to be perfectly cool, and did not realise his position. Robert Wallath was charged this morning before the Police Court with firing at Mr Harold Thompson with intent thereby to kill and murder him. Inspector Thompson applied for a remand, as the man had only been arrested the previous night. He said that probably other serious charges would be brought against the accused. The prisoner was remanded till next Friday, so bail being allowed. Lateb. The police have obtained evidence clearly connecting the prisoner, Robert Wallath, as the person who appeared as a highwayman on former occasions, also as being connected with several burglaries recently committed in New Plymouth. A singular part of the affair is that he was employed by Furlong, hairdresser, to secure the door of his shop by fixing a heavy iron bar inside. A few days afterwards Furlong's place was broken into by someone boring through the weatherboards and removing the iron bar. The f*>lice found some of the things stolen from urlong's in prisoner's bedroom, thus indicating that prisoner was the man who committed the burglary. He was afterwards employed by Furlong to repair tbe damage which the evidence now shows that he had himself committed.