CHIEF DETECTIVE RETIRES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25081, 13 January 1947, Page 8

CHIEF DETECTIVE RETIRES

MR W. H. DUNLOP, OF WELLINGTON A DRAMATIC ARREST RECALLED '* The Press ” Special Service WELLINGTON, January 12. One of the outstanding officers of the New Zealand Police Force, Inspector W. H. Dunlop, chief detective at Wellington, and previously chief detective at Christchurch, for many years, will commence his retiring leave next Friday. after more than 40 years’ service. Mr Dunlop proved himself to be a constable and sergeant of more than ordinary ability. He had no particular desire to transfer from the uniformed branch to the detectives; but his general ability, his knowledge of human nature in general and that of criminals in particular, and the technique he used in apprehending wanted men made such a transfer inevitable.

Most of his time in the force was spent in the South Island. It was there that he made one of the outstanding arrests in the history of the force, of a man who may be called Smith (though that was not his name). He had been accused—wrongly, as it turned out—of breaking and entering a little country store in the wild bush country in Central Southland. He took to the bush with his rifle when a warrant for his arrest, signed by the local Justice of the Peace, who happened to be the owner of the store, had been issued on the evidence of the mark of a large boot outside the store window.

The district for miles around soon became aware of his threat to shoot any policeman who tried to arrest him. No one did much about it for about

nine months, until a Wellington newspaper picked up the story and published in great headlines how a dangerous bushman was holding at bay all the forces of law and order.

It was the first that the then Commissioner of Police —it was early in 1922—knew of the matter. He issued instructions that Smith was to be arrested promptly, and Mr Dunlop, who had just been promoted to sergeant, was given the assignment. Meeting in the Bush Mr Dunlop in bis efforts to reach Smith was faced with great difficulty. When he did get a message to him, through Smith’s sister-in-law, he offered to meet him back in the bush. He promised to go unarmed, and alone, and Smith agreed to the meeting. The sergeant went alone, and unarmed He had to go through a swamp first and then up a bank on to a large clearing. At the far end of the clearing was a high wire fence, to stop cattle from wandering back into the hills.

As the sergeant came to the edge of the clearing, he saw Smith sitting on a tree stump on the far side of the fence, a rifle across his knees. He will say to-day that he was scared. As he approached the fence Smith told him to stop. The sergeant started to talk. He told Smith that he believed in his innocence, and called him a fool for not surrendering himself. He told Smith that he was being blamed for every minor crime and theft for 100 miles around, and concluded by offering to fight him. But Smith didn’t want to fight. He assured the sergeant that the rifle over his knees was loaded and was going to stay that way. The sergeant turned to go. Then Smith, inexplicably, invited the sergeant to go up to the sister-in-law’s home nearby and have a cup of tea. He laid the rifle against the stump of the tree and stalked off. By the time the sergeant had climbed through the fence Smith was 50 yards away. . “You’ve left your rifle behind, the sergeant called. “That’s all right; no one will take it,” Smith replied. a r. The sergeant picked up the rifle. It took him a second to find out that it was indeed loaded. He carried it and half ran to catch up with Smith. (Later he was asked why he didn’t shoot the man or arrest him at the point of the gun.) Over a cup of tea Smith agreed to submit to arrest. The sergeant was feeling very pleased with himself, until Smith suddenly went to the door, and. his fingers to his mouth, whistled shrilly. A few minutes later a number of small boys, Smith’s nephews, came to the door. Smith smilingly informed the sergeant that, just in case, he had stationed the boys on the hills to report if the sergeant brought any men ■with him. __ The sergeant was really angry. He told Smith that he had kept his word and had come, as he had promised, unarmed and alone. He told Smith what he thought of him and finally informed him that he had no intention of trusting him in future. Smith begged to be arrested. He told the sergeant he had not realised that a policeman could be trusted so completely. and begged the sergeant to accept his abject apologies for having doubted him. Life-long Friendship So the sergeant and his captive went to Invercargill together. On their trip down by train Smith got out at every stop to greet numerous bushmen ?nd other old friends who had learned of his arrest. He joined them for a few drinks at each stop; but each time the train pulled out Smith was back on 11 He was acquitted of the breaking and entering charge. He remained a friend all his life of the man who arrested him and. when Mr Dunlop later became chief detective at Christchurch, made a call at the Police Station an annual “must” on his visits to that city. ‘ , . . . A 1922 Police Gazette carried a brief notice concerning the arrest. The sergeant received* a monetary reward and a police award of merit “for his tact and initiative” in making the arrest. There are other stories concerning Mr Dunlop; but. though he can occasionally be persuaded to tell them, he has frowned on their becoming general knowledge. Instructing Young Men While he was in charge of the police station at Lyttelton Mr Dunlop conducted mock courts on Sundays for young constables. A high official of the Justice Department, visiting Lyttelton, was curious one day at the sound of activity in the local courtroom and investigated. Mr Dunlop occupied the bench. A constable stood in the dock, charged with some minor offence. Another was the prosecutor. others were called in turn to give evidence. What the constables •were supposed to do was explained bv Mr Dunlop. Mr Dunlop still has the letter sent to, him by the Justice Department congratulating him on the work he was doing that Sunday. The detection and arrest of criminals has not been his sole interest in the force. Particularly in the smaller towns where he was stationed, he has keot an eye on the young boys of the district, and if their normal exuberance and tendency to mischief seemed to be getting out of hand, he took steps to see that they were checked.