BACK FROM THE WILDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 430, 12 February 1909, Page 6

BACK FROM THE WILDS.

M'NEIL RE-ENTERS THE TERRACE CAOL. , HOW THE ABREST WAS MADE. : . Archibald John M'Neil, who has been leading the ''.life of a .rover for tlio , past-three weeks, " and who was arrested in W-anganui on Wednesday after crijoymg ' the plea- - snres of. country: life for a short space, was brought back to tlio Terrace Gaol last night 'in charge of Cohstablo Thomson. M'Neil was attired in a smart suit of clothes, good boots, and a, hard hat. It appears. that when he escaped on the morning of January 30 ho:: made straight' towards Woolcombe Street, and immediately sought refuge in Mr. Conningham's residence, which he entered, unperceived, through an open window. Ho remained undiscovered in the house tho whole day, his solitary amusement being, to watch some of his pursuers from the window. As already reported, his indiscretion in the matter of smoking led to his discovery iii the evening, and he had to make a hurried exit by tho ■;window through which ho-had enured." . - The Fugitive; In Rough .Country. On loavng Woolcombe Street, he made over the hills towards Terawhiti, where, it is alleged, ho managed to get scant food and raiment -some rabbitdrs; and afterwards pushed on up the coast through Foxion and.on to Feilamg, where he .secured a horse'.: After, leaving the. residence of Mr. M Intosh,' near Wangaehu, on the Thursday morning after the Feilding show, .he crosscu the Wangaehu River and' made towards Wanganui with the , intention of passing. . tho river and going "further north, . He kept to this : sido jof tho river,- however, and rode about' twenty miles inland where, by representing himself to a farmer as: an Australian, relative, he secured a night's lodging. Early; on ..Saturday. morning, it is said,, ho: came. doxln the ;■ river., again in •; the hope of crossing the bridge, but ha changed: his. mind, and went towards Wangaehu, whence he. had come.' about four miles out from Wanganni, Two Warders on Bicycles Pass Him. M'Neirgot a glimpse.of .two cyclists coming along, and lost no time in getting- off: the road—a lucky; move,, as .lie .recognised ;two warders from the Terrace Gaol, go past. Evidently deeming it imprudent to go back- any farther over , his' tracks, the prisoner: then rodo up the river,.again until ho came to the Maori Pa- at-. Karioi,; where lie" was finally caught. The police in Wanganui- received news that a mail, riding a bay horse, and followed by a dog, had been seen travelling up: the river,, and. Constables . Thomson and. Watts immediately 1 , went in pursuit. ■: ... Tfie individual, when overtaken.- was not tlie: man wanted,\: but ' the,.-.same trail . led . towards M'Neili "Tho .farmer, who had been victim-: ised by the escapee, directed the police to the Maori, Pa, .and , Constable Thomson came upon M'Neil in due course.; - He Obtains a Horse. .: According to a 'report in tho "Wanganui Chronicle," \ M'Neil was at Wangaehu ' on Wednesday . night, ; where, by.,'concocting ' a plausible: tale,- he: persuaded a resident' to lend him a horse,, saddle, and certain articles of wearing apparel. He departed from Wan-' gaehu. on: Thursday morning, and- moved "in ■the direction,of. Upokongaro. :On arrival there lie.called at the residence, of Mr. .William Caines,'. and .described himself as a well-to-do-rolative 'of that gentleman's; stating that he had recently : arrived, from .Australia. He also told Mr. Caines that ho had a' big .flock of sheep on the way, and with those.ho was -goingv-to.-stock _a farm in the interior. Although*; Mr.: ' Gaines's;, suspicions were aroused, M'Neil stayed on till Saturday morn-, ing,: and,/, on leaving, inforniod Mr. Caines that lie was going 'to call on his host's 4ro-.t-lier, ncar.Kpriniti. . ...

Polios Strike tho Trail. .'-. Meanwhile,' the police had not beeii idle. Information was received by the police on .Friday -night:'that M'Neil had left Wangaehu, ■and would probably make for a refuge upriver. .First thing on Saturday morning Con- . stables' -Thomson and Watts cycled to - Upokongaro, arid made inquiries:; Here thoy were informed -that .a man, like MJNeil, ,had como Forilell and .gone up., .the Parapara Track.', Tho: constables • scoured mounts and followed, Slid inquiries along, tho road elicited thq -information that tho.man they -were following had gone . along, the Karioi Track, lliey reached Karioi-on Sunday, only to -find' that .the man-they, had been-following was not ,M'Neil. : On Monday night they reported themselves at Wanganui. again, and in the moautimcs Mr. William Caincs hadcommunicated his suspicions, -which had been further aroused on'seeing-in a local paper a reference to the escapee, to tho police. Constable Thomson-was entrusted with::the duty of following_up the trail, and this he did successfully.: He left' Wanganui' on Tuesdav morning, on.horseback, for "•'■ Mr. -Alfred ??,x n r e ?l s ,' f ? rm > where' he heard that M Neil had, gone on a visit with a Maori ;belle to Koriniti,' to pay - his last respects to the memory of a departed chiefwhose. body, a tangi.was being. the. constable followed, trudging the last seven miles -on foot, his horse havinc knocked, up Ho-reached the pa. late on luesday and wisely decided to await the approach of day. . Ho stayed at the resi-.dence.-or..the .schoolmaster that night,, and took things quietly. ■ • ' • . ■■ • . Tho Arrest. ~ The meeting of. Thomson, and M'Neil was sensational. Coming round the corner of a building in tho 'pa ; . M'Neil, walked 'fairly into.the. arms. of tho constable, whoj however, hayl more to: do than simply remark, "I arrpt, vou,". etc.:,.As ;soon as M'Neil knew the identity of his .eonfronter ho- made a : desperate bid for liberty, and once actually succeeded in getting away. from Thomson's