HUNTED FOR NINETEEN YEARS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14977, 24 April 1909, Page 10

HUNTED FOR NINETEEN YEARS.

AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER. [Fkoji Our Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, April 23./ Tlio improbability, amounting almost to positive futility, of criminals who are really badly "wanted" completely escaping being brought to justice will bo exemplified in the case of M'Laughlin, who was arrested last week in Queensland, should he be found to be guilty of a crime committed in Africa nearly twenty years ago. M'Lauehlin ie a one-handed man, whose speciality was dynamiting safes, and it was in oonductina one of these operations that he 106-t his hand. Early in the "nineties" he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment, and attributing his conviction to the evidence of a. man named Stevenson, he said when he was being taken away, " When I come out I will S"nare accounts with you, Steve." The threat was regarded as one of those which are not infrequently heard in a criminal court, but are very seldom carried out. However, when the safe-exnlodiner expert came out it is alleged that M'Laughlin made for Stevenson's house, knocked at the door, which was opened by Stevenson, who was shot dead, and away went the criminal. The deed had been witnessed by a Cape black, who made an effort to stop the murderer, but the dark skin, too, was drilled through with a bullet and_ the murderer got away. South Africa was and a reward of £2OO was offered, but the notorious M'Laughlin waß heard of no more for years. Quite a surprising number of men were arrested on (Suspicion of being the wanted hunted man. There is in Auckland at the -present time a man who was in the police service in South Africa at the time of the committal of tho crime, .and this man was among who searched for tho pernetrator. While perusing a New Zealand paper one day this officer noticed an account of a mysterious man who had been arrested in Auckland and sentenced to four months' imprisonment. The man had been seen nrowline about the cemetery, and the -police had found in a_ bag he had secreted there an artificial hand and some "cracksman's" implements. Tho officer guessed at once that this was M'Laughlin, and he apnlied for the reward and save the information. At that_ time Dutch rule prevailed in that portion of Africa, and the information was an extraordinarily lone; time in reaching New Zealand. When it did come M'Laughlin was out of gaol and far away. He was never heard of again until last week when ho was identified in Queensland and arrested. The cable stated that the man taken into custody admits that he is M'Latiehlin, but protests that he is innocent of the crimes. The notorious character must now be' about sixty years of age.