WORK OF THE SCOUTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14345, 15 April 1910, Page 6

WORK OF THE SCOUTS.

I A FACE AT THE WINDOW. . ! ANOTHER FALSE ALARM. [BY TELEGRAPH. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] ' ■ Palmerston North, Thursday. There has been a great, deal of comment and some degree of soreness about the advent of five uniformed members of 'the Dominion Scouts from Wellington to take part in the Powelka search as special constables, although the cervices of the local corps were . not accepted. Captain Dalrvmple and his men feel rather hurt at their reception here, and think it is due to a misunderstanding. The Manawatu Daily Times representative to-njght interviewed Captain Dalrymple, Sergeant-Major Willis, and Quartermaster-Sergeant Tester, who with Troopers Nicholls and Gatenby constitute the party. Captain Dalrymple said that having a knowledge of this district, and knowing that he had some useful men in the corps with South African, Australian and New Zealand experience, he telegraphed to the Defence Minister asking if the services of half a dozen picked men to assist the police would be acceptable. Sir Joseph Ward replied that be appreciated the spirit of the offer, and suggested that the men leave by the. train on Tuesday by which he himself was coming. They did -so, travelling in uniform co as to come free under the railway regulations. They did not, however, wear their uniforms while at work here. The men &re experienced bushmen, and he himself knew this district thoroughly* m well

as tho Ruahines, and had had experience among other things in the search for the Kelly gang in Australia. On arrival at Palmerston, Captain Dalrymple said thoy reported themselves to the police, and found that the inspectors knew nothing of their coming. They asked what they could do, and Captain Dalrymple, knowing that some old buildings by the river would bo a likely place, asked if they had been searched, and was told they had not. Consequently they included those buildings in their search. Just as they were riding past, at about five o'clock, they suddenly saw a mans head appear at tho top of a boarded window and immediately disappear when ho saw them. The glimpse served to show that he had a brown moustache, no hat, and a blue shirt. His appearance and sudden disappearance under such circumstances. looked suspicious, and they asked a Manawatu Mounted Rifleman, who hud been sent out with them whether there was anyone living in the place. Ho' said "No." The men were for rushing the place at once, but he (Captain Dalrymple) thought it wiser to call the police in case there was any shooting, so that there might be no legal complications. Meanwhile they surrounded and watched the place, in the midst of a storm. One man was sent for the police, who came out in a motor car. Meantime Sergeant Tester saw the man come out into the yard, look at them over the fence, and go in again. When the police came up it was found that he was a man who had gone in for shelter from the storm, and he -explained his suspicious disappearance from the window by saying that he stood on a ledge to see over, and the ledge gave way with him. They considered that under the circumstances they were justified in the action they took, and there was certainly no excitement.

Captain Dalrymple said they had since been doing patrol work to assist the police. They had done a great deal of night work about the lower part of East-street, where there was much cover, and they had searched a number of empty houses. They did not set themselves up to know more than the police or the local men. It the local men had asked permission of Colonel Robin to take part in the search in uniform they would have got it. On the night of the timber yard fire, said Captain Dalrymple, his party had been patrolling the streets, and had followed two men, whom they regarded as suspicious, and had required one man, whose actions it seemed necessary to investigate, to give an account of himself. They thought it rather hard when they were giving their best services, night and day, in assisting in the search, to have reflections cast upon them.