THE "POWELKA SCARE."

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 81, 7 April 1910, Page 7

THE " POWELKA SCARE."

PALMERSTON ALARMED. [IT TEtEGHAPH — PEESS ASSOCIATION.] PALMERSTON N., 6th April. Palmerston is still in a ferment. Women are coming in from outlying houses to stay with friends in town, and town householders are kept in a constant state of alarm by their womenfolk. The matter is complicated by the fact that other people are apparently taking advantage of the Powelka scare. The police have been doing excellent work in the search, and the patrol have had a rough time during the past fortnight since the first rumours of Powelka's presence at Longburn on Easter Saturday, while the false alarms that they have received from excited individuals have given many a fruitless search. Recent sensational incidents, according to the Maaawatu Daily Times, include — The breaking into a Longburn store on Easter Saturday. The robbery under arms at Kendall's on Saturday night last. The raiding of food at a residence in Broad-street on Monday night. The &ensation6 in Palmereton North last night, which include entrance into a shop in the town, from which deto- J nators wer« taken, and to a store close at hand, where fire afterwards revealed ' itself. Police reinforcements have arrived from Taranaki, Wanganui, and other j centres, and more will arrive to-morroTv. The area to be patrolled is so large that a fugitive might escape for many weeks, but systematic search is to be made by day. SPECIAL EFFORTS »V POLICE. Reference was made by the Minuter of Justice (Hon. Dr. Findlay), in conversation with a Pott reporter to-da-y, to tho case of the man Powelka, who, while under remand on charges of theft j at Palmerston North, escaped from I custody at Wellington, and is still at large. Tho Minister slated that men had been drafted to the locality from Wanganui, Napier, and Wellington, and there ar« now as many men in the urea of supervision as can possibly be spared. "These men," ho added, "are lifting the utmost vigilance, and nothing is being left undone to effect his arrest. It must be borne in mind that he is in country which is easily travelled, and which to some extent lends itself to concealment, especially if ho lies concealed through- j out the hours of daylight. I fun considering the expediency of offering a. reward for information which will en- I able the police to discover his whereabouts." Palmerston is at present (writes » correspondent) in such a state of excitement in consequence of the recent mysterious fires and robberies that business is almost at a standstill. In addition to matters reported, the U.F.C.A. has been broken into. Barraud and Abraham's premises and a number of others have also been entered. From onn place a quantity of explosives was taken. There are- over 100 men out of work hanging ahout the town just now, and at time of writing there are 25 extra policemen on duty.