HUNTED FOR 19 YEARS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 106, 3 May 1909, Page 7

HUNTED FOR 19 YEARS.

EXTRAORDINARY CAREER

The remarkably improbability, amounting almost to positive i utility, ol; criminals who are really badly wanted completely escaping being brought to justice is admirably exemplified in the career of crime of McLaughlan, who was arrested in Queensland, charged with a crime committed in Africa nearly 20 years ago. McLaughlan (states the Auckland Star) is a one-handed man, whose speciality was dynamiting safes, and it was in conducting one of these operations that he lost 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 square 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-exploding expert came -out, he knocked at the door, which was opened by Stevenson, whom McLaughlan thereupon shot dead. Over a fence, and away went the criminal, but the deed had been witnessed by a Cape black, who made an effort to stop him. But the darkskin, too, was drilled through with a bullet, and the murderer got -away. South Africa was scoured, and a reward, of £200 was offered, but the notorious McLaughlan was 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 the crime, and this man was among those who searched for the perpetrator. 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 prowling about the cemetery, and the police had found in a bag he had secreted there an artificial hand and some "cracksman's" implements. The officer guessed at once that this was McLaughlan, and he applied for the reward, and gave the information. At this time Dutch rule prevailed in that portion of Africa, and the information was an extraordinary long time reaching New Zealand. When it did come McLaughlan was out of gaol and far away. He was never heard of again until last week, when he was identified in Queensland, and arrested. The cable stated that the man taken into custody admits that he is McLaughlan, but protests that he is innocent of the crimes. The notorious character must now be about 60 years of age.