ARREST OF A NEW ZEALAND DEFAULTER IN ENGLAND.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 55, 3 September 1881, Page 4

ARREST OF A NEW ZEALAND DEFAULTER IN ENGLAND.

A report has been received by Superintendent Broham, of Christchurch, from Constable Brooks, announcing the arrest of William Wombwell Charters, alias John M'Rae, at Bristol, England, on Ist July, on a charge of forging and uttering a cheque for £147 12s, purporting to be drawn by Margaret Chapman, of tho Heathcote district ; and :ilso on a charge of embezzling the suma of £250, £150, and £120, the moneyrt of the Chriatchurch, Sydenham, and Snburban Building Society. It appews that the constable, on arriving in England, at once reported himself at Great Scotland Yard, London, and then went down to Grave.-=end to await the arrival of the prisoner per ship Orari. Betweon 5 and 6 p.m. on tho 28bh June the constable received a telf-gram from the shipping Company, informing him that the t-hip Orari had passed the Start Point at 8 a.m., all well, on that date, and also that the telegram had lelt a place called Kmgswaar, a small fishing port, at 2 p.m. The constable, suspecting that some person had landed, at once sent a telegram to Kingswear, aud ascertained that a goutleman had landed and had taken a ticket by the 3 p.m. train that day for Bristol. The constable at once went to London, leaving an officer from Scotland Yard at Graveaend to await the arrival of the ship, and on arrival in London telegraphed and sent photographs by post of offender to Bristol. On 29th June the constable left for Bristol, on arriving at which place he male enquiries at the banks and momy changers', and ascertained that a man of Charters' description had sold £17 of New Zealandnotes for £15 103, and had given his name as William Saunders, Lansdowne-terrace Scarborough. On making further inquiry, Ihe officer traced Charters to a hotel called the George and Railway, near the railway station, and there ascertained that he had left by the 3 p.m. train the previous day for Liverpool. The constable then sent a message to the police at Cheltenham, where there wero some peraonß named M'Rae residing, and proceeded to Liverpool in search of the offender, having previously telegraphed there a description of Charters. On leaving Bristol, Constable Brooks begged of the Bristol police to keep a sharp look-out, as the constable believed that he would return, and offered a reward to the hotel waiters to inform the police should Charters return. On arrival at Liverpool at 3.30 a.m., Ist July, the constable received a telegrum that Charters had returned and was arrested. It appeared that Charters was in the liar of the hotel when the Bristol police were showing his photograph ; and the constable had to thank the waiter (to whom he gave £3) for the arrest of the offender. The officer at once conveyed him o London. On 2nd July he was taken before Sir James Itigham, at Bow-street, when he was remanded until 7th July, on which date ho was committed to take his trial in New Zealand. The constable has taken passage for Lyttelton per ship Wanganui, and will sail on 22nd July, it extradition warrants aro reudy. The Lyttelton Times is informed by Mr. W. S. King, who has received letters by this mail, that the prisoner had £1500 on him when arrested.