ARREST, OF F. C. DEAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9445, 16 August 1889, Page 5

ARREST, OF F. C. DEAN.

HE PLAYS THE ROLE OF A PRIEST. DETECTIVE HERBERT'S MISSION SUCCESSFUL. Considerable satisfaction was felt in town when tho steamer Hauroto arrived from Sydney, and it became known that Detective Herbert was a passenger, having brought back with him as prisoner Dean, the famous levanter from the Thames, whom ho had captured on board the schooner Christine, off Norfolk Island. When Detectivo Herbert left in the steamer Southern Cross in pursuit of the Christino, Captain McLiver, many were tho predictions that he would go looking for wool, and come homo shorn ; that he was simply goin" , on a wild-goose chase; Dean having either got away in tho outward 'Frisco boat, or "planted" in tho Thames ranges till a favourable opportunity presonted itself of getting away, when tho pursuit had become less warm. The rnaill steamer was searched, and Detective Chrystal went out with her outside Tiritiri, so as to prevent any boarding of the vessel by Dean, and as nothing camo of the proceedings, the police authorities camo to the conclusion that the balance of evidence was in favour of the theory that Dean had gone on in the Christine to Norfolk Island, and more especially as it subsequently transpired that he had left the Thames on the night of the 11th July in a fishing boat, and boarded the Christine off Omaha. The Thames Borough Council decided to guarantee £100 towards the expense of following their late clerk and treasurer, whose acquaintance they wore desirous of reuewing for numerous golden reasons, for though lost to sight he "was to memory dear. IVKTECTIVE itEKBERT ON TIIK TRACK. Act-ing Detective Herbert, who had been for years at the Thames, and was well acquainted with Dean, was selected for tho mission of following and arresting tho absconder on several charges of embezzlement. Armed with a warrant, he left as a passenger by the Melanesian Mission schooner Southern Cross, bound for Norfolk Island, on the 10th of July. The skipper of the Southern Cross made her do her best, and sighted Norfolk Island after a | fair run of about five days, reaching there ;on Saturday morning. Owing to rough weather no communication could be held with the shore till Sunday morning. When Detective Herbert got ashore, no ascertained the Christine had arrived just one day ahead of the Southern Cross, that Captain McLiver was ashore, his family residence being on tho island ; that the passengers fur Norfolk island were ashore, but that the rest of the passengers for Noumea were aboard, while the schooner was lying off the shore on account of the 1 stormy weather, in charge of the mate. From some of the Norfolk Island people Detective Herbert ascertained that, a passenger was on board the Christine, answering Dean's description, and this increased at once his anxiety and his fears, lest after all his man might receive intelligence from sympathisers of tho advent of the oliieer of the law, and give him the slip after all. The weather got worse, putting boarding theChristino out of the question, and she got blovvu out to sea. In two days the schooner again showed up, but had hardly anchored near the shore when the cable parted, and she was again blown out of sight of land. On Thursday following, the 25th July, the Christine again hove in sight, beating up, with a liglit breeze, the weather bavins; moderated. Detective Herbert had in the meantime defined his {x>sitiou to Captain McLiver, and getting a boat's crow of Norfolk Islanders together, ho started, accompanied by Captain McLiver, for the schooner, then four milas off, to make assurance doubly sure. THE DETKCTIVE INTERVIEWS THE SOI-DISANT PRIJSST. During the passage Deati seems, like Holt, to have " caught on " to the idea of hiking the role of a Kotnan Catholic priest, and he was known on board ns the Rev. Father Davies, bound for New Caledonia, to undertake a mission there. He waa not, however, garbed as one, and did not attempt to conduct any religious service on board, that gap being tilled by the Holiness Evangelists, the Phelp party, who were on a mission to Norfolk Island. Dean conducted himself admirably on bonrd. When Detective Herbert got on board the Christine his advent caused somewhat of a flutter. He went straight, up to the soi-dieant priest, and inquired his name, to which he replied, "John Davies." The detective then responded, "It is my duty to tell you that I am Detective Herbert, nnd that I have to arrest you as Frederick Clarence Dean, of the Thames, lot embezzlement, and hero is my warrant." Dean collapsed at once. When told his pockets would have to bo searched, he broke down and said, " Do anything you like, but don't look in my face!" £71 3s Gd were found on him, of which the detective took possession. Peeling satisfied from Dean's bearing that he would not. come the Gasparini business on him, Detective Herbert did nob hand* cuff him, and throughout the whole subsequent voyage he gave the detective not the slightest trouble. Dean was taken ashore, and formally up brought before the Chief Magistrate of the island, Mr. Stephen Christian, and charged with embezzlement' of moneys belonging Lo tho Thames Borough Council, and remanded to Auckland, Detective Herbert electing to go on, when she was re;uly, with the Christine, for Noumea, with the intention of getting a boat for Sydney, an routs, for Auckland again. During the enforced stay on tho Island, till the Christine was ready to Hail, detective and prisoner "dined out," and attended the little island Anglican Church, but Dean missed " the prayer for those at sea. :, The philosophic way in which the old gentleman took his fate, made the islanders pity him. KN UOUTB FOB AUCKLAND. The Christine sailed on the 31st July for Noumea with the dotective and his prisoner, reaching her destination on 3rd August. The French authorities were made none the wiser, and the gentlemanly Dean got along very well while in port. Next day they caught the Fijian mail boat Victory, bound for Sydney, which was reached on the Bth inst. Here, as Detective Herbert had some business to attend to, lie was obliged to put Dean in the lock-up, the only time he was in confinement during the whole trip. Detective Herbert endeavoured to cable the arrest of Dean from Sydney, but owing to the cable being interrupted, waa unable to do so. The Siamese twins started once more on the'Jth inst., on their homewardbound voyuce, detective and prisoner as usual occupying the same cabin, and arrived here, as above, yesterday. Detective Herbert was congratulated on all hands, on coming ashore, on the able way in which he had carried out his mission. AT THE POUOK COURT. Yesterday morning Dean was brought bofore Messrs. S. Y. Collins and A. Boardman, J.P.'s, at the Police Court, and charged with having on the Ist September, at Thames, forged mid uttered a roceipt or acquittance for the payment of £I'2 Is Cd, with intent to cheat and defraud. The case was postponed until the arrival of Mr. Hudson Williamson. When the Crown Prosecutor appeared in Court he applied that the case b« remanded until Friday next (this day week), to be heard at the Thames. Inspector Broham put in the warrant upon which Dean was arrested. The Bench granted the remand. Dean was then taken from the dock to the police-station, whore he remained seated in the guard-room until 3 o'clock. Hβ then entered a hansom cab with Detective Herbert, and v/ius driven to the wharf and embarked on the Rotomahana, under the custody of that officer. ON HOARD THE KOTOMAHANA. A number of old Thames residents, who were in town, as well as some of our citizens who had known Dean in happier times went on board to see him. Ho sat down in the cabin, occasionally chatting with great mw/froid and perusing some illustrated books concerning the Islands, with which he wiled away the time. There were about a hundred people on the wharf to see Dean off", the Thames steamer leaving at a quarter to 4 o'clock. It is stated that when Dean was in fche Police Station at the Thames, he told the Crown Prosecutor (Mr. Hudson Williamson) that he would yet rue his action towards him, as he had never taken a penny belonging to the Thames Borough. Dean's feelings on finding himself, last night, at the Thames among his old friends once more may be more easily imagined than described.

DKTECTIVK HKRBKRT. Inspector Brohaui, we understand, is very much pleased with the tact and judgment which Acting-Detective Herbert has shown throughout the whole affair, and no doubt that opinion will find substantial expression in a recommendation of his services to the favourable consideration of tho Government. He has been acting for nearly Gve years as a plain-clothes constable, bat practically doing a detective s duty, on a constable's pay. It would be a graceful and a jnet act, if devotion to the service is to be expected, to promote him to the grade of fourth-class detective. He has undertaken several delicate missions, one of them being a secret mission to the Lake Country, Ofcago,_ to know whafc had become of some missing books, the property of tho Luke County Council, in which he was successful ; and he also captured in Auckland, single-handed, at two o'clock in the morning, the notorious burglar Dunn, under circumstances of considerable personal risk, Dunn being armed with a butcher's cleaver.