RE-CAPTURE OF THE CONVICT CRABTREE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7862, 3 February 1887, Page 5

RE-CAPTURE OF THE CONVICT CRABTREE.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] Wellington, Wednesday,

Crabtkre was arrested at twenty minutes

past seven this evening on the Wadestown Road. This morning Miss Ivnowlcs informed the police that she had seen a man with a tall hat on the lawn of her brother's house iu Sydney-street ; anil Detective Campbell, fancyiug lie might be the convict, traced him thence to the Wadestown district. In the evening he returned, and while speaking to a man on the road over the bill there came along a man faultlessly got up in a black suit, belltopper, overcoat, and gold watch and chain. Campbell recognised him as Crabtree, and called on him to surrender. So surprised was the escapee that he dropped on the road in despair without ollrriug the least resistance. While doing so, however, he put his hand in his pocket, and hearing a jingle, the detective immediately covered him with his revolver. Curious to see

whether he was armed, Campbell felt

in his pocket, and found it tilled with jewellery. A further search revealed the

fact that Crabtree was fairly loaded with bracelets, rings, studs, ear rings, and valuables of all descriptions, the list ot which makes quite a formidable document. These, with the cloth he had obtained at the house of Mr. Knowles, who is away just now. His sister visits the house in the day time but nobody sleeps on the premises,

and there Crabtree passed the night, and

made his notable haul. Trusting to the disguise afforded by his more than respectable get up he was evidently about to venture into town, when he fell plump into the arms

of tho man who happened to know him

| personally. The truant was so weary with his efforts, and with the chagrin, that he was unable to accompany his ea;t)r back to town until refreshed by rest and a friendiy cup of tea. During his escapade he has piled up at least two charges of burglary and house-breaking, besides the breaking out of gaol, for which alone he can get five years' penal servitude. The reason he gives for his behaviour is that he considered his sentence of thirteen years too long for the crime. It is now believed that the man chased last eight was not Crabtree at all but a confederate.

Crabtree led his pursuers a very good dance. Altogether, what with dctectives, policemen, warders, and militiamen, there have been at least fifty men on his trail, and he had several narrow escapes before he was finally caught. At one boardinghouse the police had made a visit and left a few minutes before tho absconder put in an appearance, and again the same thing happened at another house. Early In the search some officers visited the Penguin, as she lay in the slip, thinking it a likely place, and the watchman told them he had just seen a roau dart across the deck in his stocking feet and disappear down the eugiue-rooiri. Making sure they had their man, they placed a sentinel on the gangway, and instituted a systematic search, but it Crabtree was there they never found him, for after some hours' labour, no trace of tho mystic individual seen by the watchman could be discovered. It is supposed he lurked in the bush during the day time, and no doubt he had some clothes concealed there. His sudden arrest greatly disconcerted Crabtree, and his firat exclamation to Detective Campbell was "'I will die in gaol

after this," So overcome was he by this four days hide and seek that the handcuffs were not required, and a cab had to be obtained to convey him to the station, as ha was unable to wall:. He had not had anything to eat for two days, according to his own account. He confessed to being the man chased last night, though it was at first thought, after hia arrest, it must have been someone else, and it is said be escaped by jumping over a fence into a garden. He will not say where he got the tools which enabled him to get out of his cell, but he destroyed them afterwards. The warder who was on duty when Crabtree escaped has been dismissed.