WELL-KNOWN POLICE OFFICER.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 90, 24 March 1924, Page 6

WELL-KNOWN POLICE OFFICER.

INSPECTOR CASSELLS RETIRING. It is understood that Inspector J. J. Cassells, of Christchurch, is about to retire from th© police force, at the completion of 31 years’ service, on account of ill-health. Inspector Casselfy was considered to be one of the smartest detectives of his day. Joining the Permanent Artillery in July. 1893, he was transferred to th© police fore© in May of the following year, and was stationed first at Wellington, and subsequently at Wanganui and Christchurch. He was promoted to the rank of detective at Mel- . lington in November, and in ’ June, of 1911. he was transferred to Napier. The following August he was appointed detective-sergeant, and re-. turned to Wellington. In 1915 Mr. Cassells was promoted to th© rank of senior-sergeant and transferred to Hamilton, and two years later went to Wanganui in the same capacity. He was appointed sub-inspector at Gisborne m January, 1920. Exactly a year later h© rose to the posicion of inspector, and in August he went to Christchurch, and has remained there since. His retirement will take place, it is understood, at an early date. As a detective (says th© “Dominion) he was renowned foi* his remarkable memory of criminals’ faces, and his ability to elicit information. In 1907 he was associated with ex-Superinten-dent McGrath, then chief detective at Wellington, in th© arrest of three daring burglars. George Ferris. John Hamilton, and William Robert Sinclair, who, well armed, cracked many a. “crib” in the city, including the blasting of a safe at the fruit market. Each man was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labour. Inspector Cassells was again prominent in 1909 when Wellington was subjected to th© operations of three garrotters, Edward Richard Black. John McCormack, and William Neil. Through the instrumentality of Detectives Cassells and Connelly, the men were brought to book on three charges of robberv with violence, and each was sentenced to ten years’ hard labour. Inspector Cassell’s successor has not yet been announced.