“DON’T COME BACK.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 July 1924, Page 13

“DON’T COME BACK.”

. FAREWELL TO SAFE-BLOWER. ONCE IN NEW ZEALAND. Several detectives gathered on the wharf at Sydney on June 25 to sav 'to a man they never wish to see again. But they departed without rancour and wished him! good-luck across coloured streamers stretched between them until the vessel moved out. The safe-blower, whom'the authorities decided to deport to England, is Thomas Hardy, formerly well known in New Zealand, where he gave the police considerable trouble some years back.

Hardy, after a term in Dartmoor, found his way to New Zealand 14 years ago. He had not been in the Dominion long before safe robberies became very frequent. After some months of immunity, Hardy was caught and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. At the expiration of that term he went to Sydney, and was joined subsequently by Masted, who is now serving a term of imprisonment, • and two others. Hardy and his companions indulged in a course of safe robberies.

The members of the gang, who were known as the “Big Four,” lived near each other, and were apparently respectable citizens. Maxted’s wife is said to have had no idea that her husband was following a criminal career, for he informed her that his absences at night were in connection with, his business as an estate agent. Eventually Maxted was caught, and the police ascertained that,Hardy was on his way to England with some of the booty. A cablegram was dispatched to South Africa asking the police to meet the boat on which lie was travelling and search his cabin.

The South African detectives, on searching Hardy’s effects, found a box containing detonators and gelignite, and some of the jewellery that had been stolen in Australia. Hardy was taken back to- Australia, where he received a heavy sentence. On its expiry an attempt was made tb deport him to New Zealand, but domicile could not be proved, and he was released, with instructions to leave the country. During the recent visit of the- naval squadron to Sj’dney he was again arrested. He asked to be sent- back to England, and his deportation was arranged. “I like the idea of crossing the blue sea to have a look at .Eaigland. and the Wembley Exhibition,” Hardy remarked as he entered the gaol tram in the cage inside the gaol gates before leaving,for the Dariinghur fit Police Station on The day of his departure. On arrival there he was handed over to the custody of the police, and later removed to the Central Police Station. Here lie met Detective-Sergeant- Lynch and the remainder of the escort to the vessel in which he was to sail. '

“It seems strange to be leaving Australia,” Hardy said on the way to the steamer. “I’ve been here 14 years now, and ten of them have been spent in gaol; but I must say that no policeman has ever ‘put it over’ me. 1 hav« always received a square deal from judges, the police and prison officials.” “We do not wish to expose you in any way,” remarked Detective-Sergeant Lynch,, “and we will ask you to stand in a certain position on the deck so that we can see you until the steamer leave®-?”

“Oh, I’ll do that for you,” agreed the deportee. “It will be different to my departure from New Zealand some time ago. There the. police made me go to- my bunk below and keep my head out of the porthole so that they could watch me until the steamer left for Australia.”

“There are a lot of streamers being held by the hurfdrea's of passengers and their friends on the wharf, but there are none for me, are there?” the excracksman said, as the detectives were about to leave. “Never mind, we will see to that,” answered Detective-Ser-geant Lynch. “We will give you a good send-off and wg will break ribbons with you.”

As the three detectives reached the wharf they purchased streamers, and threw them to the man on the deck. The steamer moved, the ribbons broke, and the detectives will add the broken ends to their other relics of the safeblower’s stay in Australia.