SHOT BY THE POLICE.

Evening Post, Volume XLIV, Issue 44, 20 August 1892, Page 2

SHOT BY THE POLICE.

« TRAGIC DEATH OF THE NOTORIOUS PLUMMER. IBY TeLKOKAFH.I [united press association. I Auckland, 19th August. Tho notorious ox-burglar and criminal, Frederick Plummer, was shot dead this evening by the police while endeavouring to effect his arrest. Ho broke into tho premises of his undo, Charles Plummer, a farmer at Hunua, a few days ago, and took a quantity of tools, provisions, a gun, and some ammunition. Constablo M' Knight, of Papakura, and a farm servant employed by Charlos Plummor,jarmed with a warrant, scourod the district to effect his arrest. This evening they catno up with him near the Hunua Railway Station, in tho scrub. They called on him to surrender. Ho took to cover in a ditch, whioh was sheltered with scrub, and opened fire on them. Thoy returned the firo, and finding that ho did not continue firing, thoy advanced to tho ditch and found him lying dead, shot through the head. Plunnnor had a few weeks ago married a daughter of Mr. Hirst, a respectable settler at Hunua, having loft his uncle, witli whom ho had boon working, through a disagrcomont. On the Bth inst. he left a boardinghouso in Auckland on protonco of looking after a house in the suburbs, and disappeared mysteriously, his friends never hearing from him since. For some time after his release from gaol he was book canvasser, Temporanco lecturer, &c, in tho Northern districts. The police have had him pretty well under surveillance of lato. In Auckland for some time past he had boon hard up and cndotivouriug to borrow money from peoplo ho know. In one instance, on being refusod, ho said it was enough to make him begin his old ways again. Plummer served many sentences for burglary, robbory, horso-stealing, and writing threatening lotters, for his last offence getting ten years. Ho came out with tho Albertland settlors. All his relatives aro settlers of tho highest respectability. When last released from gaol ho deolincd his friends' solicitations to leave the country, ; and said he would stay in Auckland and ' prove that ho could livo an honest life, as ho had novor done wrong except when drunk. [Plummor was a nativo of England, and was just 50 years of age. Ho was brought • up to the drapery trade, and in his earlier , days was looked upon as a roligious person. Soon after he came out to Auckland, howi ever, he astonished his relatives and friends ' by committing a burglary, for which ho re- , ccived a sentence of four yeqrs. This was in 1867. Escaping from prison, ho stolo a ¦ horse, and also committed minor offences, '. and on being re-capturod he received a heavy sontenco. Ho was thon sent to Wei- '. lington. A further sontence of four years was imposed in September, 1869, for stealing ' a boat in Dunodin. Not long after this he again made his escape, but was re-captured 1 and sentenced to a further term of two ¦ years. In 1882 ho was sontenced at Auckland i to Boven years, on two charges of sending I ¦ threatening letters to Dr. Philson, tho terms , to run concurrently, and on an indictment ; for burglary ho received threo years. Soon \ after this ho was removed to Wellington, , and was discharged here on 10th April, 1889. | During his latter incarceration Plummor, > who had considerable musical gifts, was [ loader of the gaol choir, and ho was often , heard to say that he had turned over a new I leaf. His behaviour in the Wellington gaol t was always exemplary, and the officials had 1 reason to believe that his professions of s reformation woro genuine. In connection , with one of his gaol-breaking exploits, which . occurred at Dunedin, it is related that while L tho polico and prison authorities spont a j weok in scouring tho Peninsula for him he j spont every day in town, attending regularly at the Police Court in disguise, and it was . only through tho treachery of a comrade that he was at last captured.]