A CLEVER ARREST OF A DESPERATE MAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 376, 26 April 1879, Page 20

A CLEVER ARREST OF A DESPERATE MAN.

(PER press agency.) Napier, Wednesday.

A clever capture was made by the police last Monday night on the Pakangata ranges. For some time past there has been a chase after a man named Roderick Hugh McLennan, who, passing himself off in Napier aa a man of wealth from Canterbury, about to purchase Lawrence’s Homewood Station, got into dobt in all direction?, paying witli valueless cheques, up 'U which, however, no criminal proceedings could bo taken, because he intimated at the time <‘f giving them that funds were yet to be provided for them by money that was coming from Canterbury. He put up at the Masonic Hotel, and there his wife died, and a considerable portion of bis debts was in conncc. ion with her funeral, which was an expensive affair, the tombstone costing £PO. At last McLennan got himself within criminal jurisdiction. Tic gave a valueless cheque without reservation in payment fora bottle of whisky. The cheque was for thirty shillings, and he got the change. The matter was put into the hands of the police, a warrant was issued, and his arrest was considered certain, but he contrived to elude the constables by moving from the place. The use of the telegraph, however, fixed a cordon round him, aiuPthe police were enabled to conjecture his whereabouts with an approach to accuracy. For some days past Inspector Scully and (Jonstable Raymond were searching the Pakangata Ranges, being seemingly assisted by a man named McDonald, who lived in the vicinity. It was, however, ascertained in Napier that McDonald was only pretending to assist the police, and that he was really aiding McLennan to keep in hiding. This was telegraphed to Inspector Scully, who thereupon took measures for watching McDonald. On Monday night McDonald’s boy went to McLennan with a supply of food, and at the place of meeting Inspector Scully and the constable were crouched down under a bank, and as very little more than their heads wa3 visible, McLennan mistook them for two more little boys, and making some remarks to that effect, ho went up to them and they pounced upon him. He had a revolver concealed in his coat-sleeve, and lie quickly took it down and presented it at the police, but it missed fire. Inspector Scully threw McLennan’a arm up immediately, but the latter turned the revolver round to himself. His wrist was, however, seized by Constable Raymond, and he was. prevented from firing. He was then handcuffed and conveyed to the lock-np. Conutable May nos had also been sent up disguised as a farmer to endeavor to capture McLennan, and came on the scene just as the arrest was effected. Maynes had passed himself off at McDonald’s as an old mate of McLennan’s, and as he said he had a letter for McLennan lie was directed where to find him. It is very likely that had he been a little earlier he would have been shot by McLennan, whose capture without casualty was no doubt due to his being taken by surprise. This morning he was brought up at the Police Court and remanded till next Wednesday. It is stated that a warrant is out against him in Canterbury for forgery, besides which it is not improbable a more serious charge will be brought against him in connection with his wife’s death. The police contemplate having the body exhumed, and an inquest held. McLennan is a quiet, mild-looking mar., but he states that he was fully determined not to be taken alive. A letter that was intercepted from McLennan to a person in Napier shows clearly enough the desperate nature of his intentions. In the letter he gives instructions as to the disposal of his effects and those belonging to his deceased wife, and then he says “As I am hunted by the police innocently I am determined to escape or die. I have been a free man, and will remain so until I die. So whoever tries to catch me will have a hard task. Should I ho killed, please get me buried with the dust of my beloved wife, who is happy now, and escaped all those difficulties without experiencing them. The sooner I follow her the better, and if I kill one of the police they will have some reason to liuut me more than a few pounds of money. If I be killed you need not say so to the people at Homo, but that I died a natural death.”