SULLIVAN THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 308, 30 December 1874, Page 4

SULLIVAN THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERER.

* (From the Australasian) HIS CAPTURE. The Inglewood Advertiser of Dec. 11, says: — The public mind was fully exercised on Wednesday evening by a rumor that the detested Sullivan, notorious throughout the whole British Empire from his complicity with Burgees, Levy, and Kelly, iv a series of dreadful murders en the West Coast of New Zealand about nine years ago, had been that morning arrested by the Wedderburn police. The general opinion expressed was that the fellow would never have the audacity to again Bet foot in a locality in which almost every one was well acquainted with him, he having resided in the neighborhood several years previous (o leaving for the scene of his misdeeds. Further inquiry, however, elicited the facts that Sullivan, under the name of Clarke, travelled from Sandhurst to Inglewood in the mail coach on Tuesday mcrniDg, He left the coach within half a mile of the latter town, and appears to have performed the remainder of the journey on foot, for shortly after six o'clock, Mr Bastow, merchant, when driving to Wedderburo, passed a man since proved to be Sullivan, some two miles from Inglewood, on the Wedderburn-road. He was carrying a valise and hat-box across bis shoulders, suspended on a stick, and on Mr Baslow approaching, signalled him to stop. He did so, and Sullivan then, apparently to find out if he was recognised by Mr Bastow, to whom he was formerly known, asked him if he was on the Korong-road. Mr Bastow did not recognise him, and told him to keep along the road he was then travelling. He apparently did bo, as several persons afterwards saw him "at different points on tbe road during the day. The rest of the atory is a upplied by the following letter from our Wedderburn correspondent: — "Sullivan found hia way up to this township on Tuesday evening about nine or ten o'clock. The following day, about nooG, by one of those mysterious circumstances known only to the initiated, Senior-constable Colvin, with Mountedconstable Killen, pounced on tbe quarry, in tbe house of his some time wife, and, although a little excited at first, the police officers, acting with judgment and earnestness that was highly creditable, reduced him to a calmer mood, and conveyed their prize through Highstreet to the lock-up, walking on either aide. His 'make-up' was admirable, and his light and buoyant gait proved that his health had not suffered by his long incarceration. He did not appear to suffer much humiliation by his parade through a town where he was so well known under different circumstances, but be must have felt it. He will be brought up for formal remand this morning. From some reason it WBS anticipated that Sullivan would be forwarded to Inglewood by yesteru&y's mail coach, and a number of persons assembled at the post-office between one and two o'clock, to "interview" him, but were, of course, disappointed. He is said to have made quite a distinguished appearance at Wedderburn, having made his debut in a black dress suit and bell-topper. We are informed that the authorities have three courses open to them, viz., to send him back again to New Zealand, to give him a certain time to leave the colony, or to sentence him to a term of imprisonment for having entered a country prohibited to him by the terms of the pardon granted to him by the New Zealand Government. His misdeeds are still very fresh in the minds of the residents of the Wedderburn and Inglewood districts, and it is to be hoped that he will be dealt with in such a manner as to preclude tbe possibility of any further annoyance from Buch a scoundrel.