DETECTIVE PROMOTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18497, 6 September 1923, Page 8

DETECTIVE PROMOTED.

NEW CHIEF AT AUCKLAND. ' MR. J. CUMMINGS. Senior-Detective J. Cummines has been promoted to the position of chief-detective at Auckland,; arid succeeds Chief-Detective J. Mcßvehey, who has been appointed sub-inspector at ; Christchurch. -.r-Chief-Detective* Cummings has achieved a reputation as a most efficient, intelligent;, and diligent officer, conspicuous ; for his fairness, and has : gained public prominence principally through his connection with .two outstanding murder cases in 1920, ■ and throughout' his career has shown remarkable : , ability.' Detective Gummirigs joined the police force in 1906, and is the , youngest man now holding the position of _ chief-detective in New Zealand. On joining the force, he was engaged on office 't duty ■ at Wellington, and was then transferred to Auckland as an acting-detective; Some years later he was promoted to detective-sergeant, and in January of last year was raised to the rank of senior-detective. , V; V / -, Detective Cummings was in charge of thePonsonby - arid : iPukekowa murder cases in 1920, ; when the' accused in each instance was found guilty.* At the conclusion of the trial" in the Ponsonby case, Mr. Justice Chapman said:, "I consider the conduct of; the police in this case has called for my highest commendation, They have; shown the greatest diligence and intelligence, and at the same timo the most absolute fairness, to the prisoner, who has- now been condemned," ..—-,. > The same Judge, after tho otheri trial { said : he thought he should : observe' that the; country stood greatly indebted to the police, who had carried I through their arduous task,= of investigating the case and bringing the offender ;' to justice. Those who had followed the ; case in Court perhaps were the "only ones' who fully realised : the amount "of work arid industry that had been applied. He felt, himself : under the obligation specially to mention the name of Detective-Sergeant Cummings, not only for the able mariner in which he had conducted the investigations, but for his scrupulous fairness to the prisoner. .