A. DETECTIVE'S DUTIES,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 231, 23 June 1908, Page 9

A. DETECTIVE'S DUTIES,

SOME REMINISCENCES.

EXCITING INCIDENT ON A BARQUE. (BY TELEGRAPJT. —SPISCrAL CORRESPONDENT,? . Clu-istchurch, June 22.' Cliief-Detbctive Chrystal, who is about to retire 'from' tho service, has an inexhaustiblo fund of reminiscences to relate, and a "Star" reporter, in conversation with him to-day, drew from him two stories that show ho v.' fearlessly ho carried out his duties. While in Wellington a good many years ago, Detectivo Chrystal was engaged on a caso arising from a disputo regarding wages in a factory, Fully three hundred men wero employed. Tho men had become distrustful of a foreman who had been appointed, and considered that their employer was being prejudiced; . against .them. Matters finally reached a climax, and one day tho employees slammed the door in the foreman' 3 face, mid • threatened to butcher him if 110 entored ,tlio building. Tho head of tho firm got a warrant for the arrest of tho employees 011 a charge of havin? taken forcible possession of tho building. Ho also warned tho police inspector that thero would probably be Bloodshed, as all the men wero determined to rosist arrest. Mr. Shearman, tho Inspector, told Chrystal that ho. could take all tho men ho wished. The detectivo said ho would .execute tho warrant himself, and thus savo bloodshed. , He accordingly went with a warrant to tho head of tho firm,. who expressed groat surprise at liio having no armed men, "Howover," ho added, "there's the door, and you must bo responsiblo -for your own life." Detective Chrystal opened tho door, and immediately everyone sprang to attention, the men's hammers rattling 011 the _ "What do you want hero, Chrystal?" said one mail. The detectivo produced his warrant, and told thorn to consider thomsolves .under arrest. - Thoy in- 1 quired whore his men wore, and. when ho said' 110 had uono overyono laughed. He told tho men that if thov surrendered and.went quietly with him tnoy would demonstrate that they were law-abiding mon, and had a grievance which thoy were not afraid to vontilate. Thore was no trap laid for them, and lie advised them to accompany him.. Finally the men decided to go with him, and at tho subsequent trial their grievances were explained, and, tlio obnoxious foreman being dismissed, harmony was onco more restored.

Tho Chief Detectivo tells another good story about an experience ho had oil a ship. A Wellington citizen had been robbed _ of several suits of clothes and inquiry revealed 'tho fact that the accused was on tho American barque Peru then on tho point of sailing for England. Tho detective hurried out to tho vessel in,.a waterman's boat, and found, that tho man had shipped as cook. The anchor was .being weighed and ho saw that there was no time to be lost. Showing his warrant to t'lio captain he hurried below, and securing tho suits he placed them in the waterman's boat. Going below again to arrest the cook the thief, a burly man, refused to submit to arrest. A rough and tumble eiisued, lasting half an hour, and tho detective managed to got his man to the top of the companion five times, hut each time they rolled ,down again At tho sixth attempt ho landed his prisoner on deck, and gazed round in consternation. Tho vessel was in full sail, going at about twelve knots an hour, and the waterman's boat was miles astern, making for tho .wharves. Tho captain, said that he would not land tho representative of tho law until Gravesend was reached. Throats and argument failing to movo hiin, Detective Clirystal then began to strip, declaring that ho would swim to a, point in tho Harbour, and the captain, seeing that ho was in earnest, alowed him a boat and four' men to row him ashoro, but refused to let tho prisoner go. Aftor a long argument the detectivo went ashoro, the captain smilingly saying: " You won't forget your visit to tho Peru in a hurry.'' Tho detective replied that probably next timo the captain visited New Zealand ho would have cause to remember that day too, and went" ashoro. Six years later Detectivo Chrystal read in a newspaper of the arrival nf the barque P<;ru, under tho sarno coniinandor. Ho hurried to tho wharf, and' tho seaman was arrested and committed for trial. Owing to the fact that his ship was delaved for three months over the'matter the jury lot tho skipper off. "But," said the_detective reminiscontly, "I got oven with him, though it did take six years."