A Chequered Career.

Hastings Standard, Issue 92, 12 August 1896, Page 4

A Chequered Career.

Of James Percy Gaffey, who was arrested last week at Auckland, the correspondent <jf. the Otago Daily Times says :—■ 16 is evident by the arrest in Auckland of James Eerey Gaffey the police checked the career in this colony of a young man who would probably have given them considerable trouble. Gaffey was suspected of having stolen a mob of horses from a place near Hughdenden, Queensland. Sergeant Capewell and another mounted trooper dropped across Gaffey and a companion with a mob of horses about 18 miles from Hillston. Gaffey rode a spirited aoim&i, once a well-known steeplechaser, but the men submitted quietly enough to capture, and for some time rode along in silence with

their captors. Suddenly, Gaffey, with-

out the slightest warning, on reach - «, ing a rough and precipitous piece of country, wheeled his horse about, and headed straight for a stiff fiverailed fence that abutted on the track. After calling on the prisoner to stop Capewell drew a revolver and fired three shots without, however,

hitting him. Gaffey's horse took the fence in gallant style, and the man, •with a shout of defiance, disappeared from view into the thick scrub, hotly pursued, Galley covered 118 miles across country in 18 hours. Shaking off the police and black trackers who followed him, he crossed the Lachlan, and trace of him was lost, until it was fovnd that he had, after disposing of his horse, taken rail for Sydney. Here he disguised himself, and took a passage, dressed as a fireman, to Auckland in the steamer Anglian. He was too confident, however, for, although his disguise at first baffled the Auckland police, he hung about the wharf for some time, and was eventually arrested on suspicion. It will be renumbered that on his way to the iockhe made his escape, but after a ■pHtaJioars* chase he wa.s run to earth. RpflFii to 1» sent from Sydney to Cobar, has promised to escape again.