ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF A POLICE OFFICER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7363, 15 February 1911, Page 1

ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF A POLICE OFFICER

INSPECTOR GILLIES’ CAREER

UPHOLDING THE LAW ON OUTSKIRTS OF CIVILISATION. SPECIAL TO THE " TIMES.” CHRISTCHURCH, February 14. After having served in the New Zealand Police Force for over thirty-six years, in addition to four years in the Royal Irish Constabulary before he came to the Dominion, Inspector R. J. Gillies retired from the force on Saturday last. Mr Gillies gave some particulars of his career to an interviewer, from which it appears that he attributes some of the success which has attended him to the excellent training he received in the Royal Irish Constabulary, the mounted branch of which he joined as a youth of nineteen. He had been only a year on duty when he and others were put on to a murder case. In 1874 Mr Gillies left the Royal Irish Constabulary to come to New Zealand. He had booked his passage by the ill-fated Cospatrick (which was burned at sea with all hands), but was prevailed upon by Dr Young (who was subsequently medical superintend, ent .of the Avondale Mental Hospital at Auckland) to transfer to the Esses.

He reached Auckland in December, 1874, and he made himself known to In* specter- Broham, who was subsequently inspector in Christchurch, and who undertook to take Mr Gillies on as soon as a vacancy occurred. In the meantime Mr Gillies joined the Armed Constabulary under Colonel Lyon and was in the Waikato district. Three months later he was appointed a constable and transferred to Auckland, where he remained for two years and a half. Burglaries and robberies were of frequent occurrence in that city at tho period mentioned, and Mr Gillies was entrusted with several important cases. As the result of the work done by him ho "was within eighteen months promoted from third-class to first-class constable. .He was then given charge of the Te Awamutu station, on ta© borders of the King Country, which was at that time practically outside the pale of European civilisation and the Queen's writ ran with considerable difficulty. The nearest police station was oyer'twenty miles distant at Hamilton, and was in charge of ex-inspector McGovern, For eight years Mr Gillies had charge of the Te Awamutu station, acting also as clerk of the Magistrate's Court and'as clerk - of the different licensing courts. - HIS CLOSEST GALL. Owing to his energy, horse-stealing by the Maoris, - which was previously very prevalent, was practically stamped out. It was whilst. arresting a Maori horsestealer that Mr Gillies had the closest call he had whilst in the force. Sammy, the Miaori in question, had stolen two horses, and Mr Gillies followed him up into the bush to a place called To Rahu, about nine miles from Te Awamutu. Here a fierce hand-to-hand encounter ensued. Sammy was powerfully built, and struggled terrifically, and he assaulted Mr Gillies so ferociously as to draw blood. Just when the Maori was getting the better of Mr Gillies a Mr Sibbley opportunely arrived, and the horse-thief was handcuffed and brought to justice. Mr Gillies was complimented by his inspector, and by the Commissioner, % and got a handsome reward for his services, CAPTURING A MAORI MURDERER. It was in connection, with the capture of the notorious Maori murderer Winiata that Mr Gillies came more j prominently before the public. Winiata, in 1876, brutally murdered a cadet named Packer, who was, with .Winiata, in the employ of a Mr Cleghorn at Epsom, near Auckland. Winiata got clear away to the King Country, where he successfully defied arrest for six years. _ ExInspector McGovern and # Mr Gillies formulated a scheme for Winiata’s capture, and in order to attain that end they obtained the co-operation of a halfcaste named Barlow. They supplied him with the necessary funds to obtain liquor, and Barlow went to where • Winiata was and bargained with him for the sale of some pigs, cattle, and wheat he had for sale. Barlow concluded his bargain, one of the conditions of which was that Winiata and his bodyguard should help him with the conveyance of the stock to Barlow's place. It was arranged that Barlow should send a note by his daughter to Te Awamutu, but the girl was thrown from her horse and was unable’to convey the message.. Barlow, however. carried out his programme, which was to ply Winiata and his bodyguard with liquor and as a nightcap administer to them a potent sleeping draught. The original intention was, if the note had reached Te Awamutu, for the police to go to Barlow's and take Winiata prisoner. The note not having been sent, Barlow, with the assistance of his wife, tied Winiata to a packhoree and brought him in to Te Awamutu, a distance of twenty miles. Winiata subsequently paid the penalty of his crime, and Mr Gillies was promoted to third-class sergeant. Mr Ballanc©,- who had recently come into power, visited the Waikato, •bout this time, and on hearing of Mr Gillies' part in the capture of Winiata gave him further promotion. Barlow, for his share in the capture, got ,£7OO as well as a farm at Manger©. In 1884 Mr Gillies was transferred to the charge of tho Devonport sub-district, which extended as far north as Waiwera. At this time cattle stealing was rife in the Wad© district, but Mr Gillies was successful In stamping it out. Three years later he was given charge of the Thames district, a position he held for nine years. In 1889 he was promoted to an inspectorship and took charge of the Wanganui district early in 1890. In 1902 Commissioner Tunbridge gave him the Canterbury and North Otago district, which position he held till his resignation. AN ENVIABLE RECORD.

During the nine years Mr Gillies was in charge of the Canterbury-North Otago district 96 per cent of the offences reported the police were detected, the greater proportion of the undetected four per cent being cases relating to property that could not, bo identified. During his lengthy service Mr Gillie never had a reprimand or a mark recorded against him, and from time to time he was complimented by the different commissioners and inspectors under whom he served and by judges and magistrates before whom he conducted cases.

It is due to Mr Gillies that the present classes of instruction for recruits were established. AVitliout authority and on his own initiative, he started a .sghool„ot_instruction.,.in

The matter was mentioned before the Commission of which Mr Poynton and Mr Bishop, S.M., were members, and on their recommendation attendance at similar classes of instruction was made compulsory in the four centres. • It is Mr Gillies' prond boast on his retirement from the service that there has not been an important case in any district of which he has had charge that has not been detected and the offenders bronght to justice,,., , v