THE PURSUIT OF POWELKA.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 88, 15 April 1910, Page 8

THE PURSUIT OF POWELKA.

NOTHING FREHH TO REPORT, [ar TBUMuura — passs associatiok.] PAI.MEIUSTON N., This Dsy. The police lu>ve nothing fresh to report to-day in connection with the Powelka pursu.i, which if utill being conducted in ih* Kimbolton district. Nothing definite regarding the movenwnt« of the t-xapre nave been received during thn pa*t two days. The country ronnd about where be is rupposed to be in being thoroughly searched. DOMINION SCOUTS AND THEIR MISSION CAPTAIN DALRYMPLE INTERVIEWED. Captain Dolryniple and his men feel rather hurt at their reception in Palmers ton, and think that it is due to misunderstanding (states to-day's Manawatu Daily Times). Consequently we saw Captain Dalrymple, Sergeant -Xlaior Willis, and Quartermaster-Sergeant Testor, who, with Troopers Nicholls and Gatenby, constitute the party. Captain Dalrymple, in reply to our queries, said that, having a knowledge of this district, and knowing that he had some useful men in tho corps with South African, Australian, and Now Zealand experience, he telegraphed to the Defence Minister, asking if the servioes of half a dozen picked men to assist the police would bo acceptable. Sir Joseph Ward replied that he appreciated the spirit of the offer, and suggested that the men leave by the train on Tuesday, by which ho himself was Aoming. They did so, travelling in uniform, so as to come free under the railway regulations, but doffing their uniforms for mufti whilo at work here. The men are experienced bushmen, and ho himself knew this district thoroughly, as well as tlio Huabinei, and had experience, among othor things, in tho search for the Kelly Gang. On coming up, they reported to tho police, ana found that the inspectors knew nothing of their coming. They asked what they could do, and Captain Dalrymple, knowing that the old buildings down by the river would be a likely place, asked if thi«y had been searched, and was told they had not. Consequently, they included them in their search. Just as they were riding past, at about 5 o'clock, they suddenly saw a man's head appear at the top of a boarded window and immediately disappear when he saw them. The glimpse served to show that he had a brown moustache, no hat, and a blue shirt. His appearance and sudden disappearance uudcr such circumstances looked suspicious, and they asked a Manawatu Mounted Rifles man, who bad been sent oat with them, whothcr there was anyone living in the place. He said jlNo. The men were for rushing, the place at once, but he (Captain Dalrymple) thought it wiser to call the police in case there was any shooting, so thai there might be no legal complications. Meanwhile they would surround and watch the place. This they did, in tho midst of the storm. One man was sent for the Kilice, who came out in a motor-car. c was said to have been greatly oxcited, but Captain Dalrymplo caid ho was the most inexeitable of men, but be did put on all possible speed. Meantime. Tester aaw the man come out into the yard, look at them over the fence, and go in again. When the police came up it was found that he was a man who had gone in for shelter from the storm, and he explained his suspicion* disappearance from the window by saying that he stood on a ledge to see over, ami the ledgo gave way with him. They considered that under the circumstances they were justified in the action they took, ami there wa* certainly no excitement. Aoked as to whether it was true that one of them loft a revolver. Captain Dalrymple said it wat. It was tho man's own revolver, and was hanging by a clip to his belt, and the clip carried away while he wiw galloping. Since then they had been doing patrol work to assist the police. They had done a good deal of night work about the lower end of Enst-ntrect, where there was much cover, and searched among other places Setter's place snd the empty houses along Fretter'* Line. They did not set themselves up to know more than the police or the local men; bnt to do the doty to their hand. As for being allowed to do so when the local men were not, if tho local men had asked permuwion of Colonel Robin they would have go. it ; it was simply that they were not allowed to do so without permission. The night of the timber yard fire they had been patrolling along those streets and followed two men whom they regarded as suspicious), and mopped one man, whose actions it seemed necen sarv to Investigate. They thought it rather hard when they were giving their best service* ni*ht «.r day in uneftil work to have reflections rant upon them. THE ESCAPEE'S WHEREABOUTS. The Palmcrston Times also says there is a suspicion that Powelka has been making towards Kimbolton, ./here his parents and relatives resido, and Mr. W. Ilansen, a brother-in-law, telegraphed to his father, Mr. C. J. Hanson, of Polmem^on, yesterday : "Premises in town (Kimbolton) aro well guarded by the police every night, and the fugitive will get no sympathy from his people."