SCOURING THE COUNTRY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 87, 14 April 1910, Page 8

SCOURING THE COUNTRY.

THE SEARCH FOR POWELKA. DOMINION SCOUTS JOIN IN. [bx iehgrapr— pbbss association.] PALMERSTON N., 13tb April. This has been a blank day in regard to Powelka incidents, and the town ha* been very quiet, ju> the police have been out scouring the country. Knots of people have gathered about the police station, but nothing like the numbers of recent day*. Many ieport.s have come in through the day from, farmers and others, who have peen a disturbance among their sheep or have seen men disappearing m tke scrub or bush. Every swagger now is reported as Powelka. Ju.-t before midnight last night, for instance, there was a call to secure Powelka in an empty house about a mile out of town, and the police surrounded and carefully approached. To the surprise of everyone an old man of 65 crawled out, awakened from his sleep. This is only one of many similar raids with no better result. The police have constantly felt the want of dogs, and after this there should certainly be a couple of half-bred cattle dogs or bull terriers at each station, which could accompany constables on their beats and excursions, and be trained by them to scent out men. Had the police had such dogs, Powelka could have been secured long ago, and especially at Ashhurst. There he actually lay in a toi bush, in the middle of a paddock, while the t>earchers were all round him and! searching bush and scrub. Any do£ would hav^ made him reveal himself. This is the opinion of Inspectoral Ellison, Wilson, and O'Donovan, as well' as men actually on search. There is sonsiderable local feeling over a party of Dominion Scouts in uniform, under Captain Dalrymple, being brought from Wellington to join in the search. Numbers of local volunteer corps and officers have assisted the police from the beginning as private citizens, and have done useful work in watches, etc. Tbe Manawatu Mounted Rifles' squads have been out, but they were informed that they must not be considered as volunteers, but in private capacity, and though mounted had no uniforms. Other corps have similarly helped and volunteered for further service, but while they were declined these Wellington men were accepted. The Woodvtlle Mounted Rifles also arranged to scout tbe ranges, but were refused permission. The Wellington Scouts have had South African service, but so have scores «f local volunteers, who have the additional advantage of knowing the -district. On tbe arrival of the Scout* last night tbey got to work at once, and bad Powelka bailed up in a tannery at Hokowhitu. In the midst of a storm the police were called out and found them with rifles surrounding a man who, of coarse, was not Powelka. Tbe body of Michael Quirke was taken to Pahiatua in a hearse, and will be buried there at 2.30 to-morrow. Staff Sergeant-Major E. Dovey, of Palmerston North, who is at present on duty iv Wellington, informs us that there has been a mistake in connecting his wife with an incident which is regarted to have occurred in Church-street, almerston North, on Monday night. It was stated in the telegrams that Mrs. Dovey was bailed up outside her house by a man with a revolver. SergeantMajor Dovey says the incident occurred at Terrace End. over a mile from his residence, and Mrs. Dovey was in no way connected with it.