A YOUTHFUL DESPERADO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18515, 28 March 1922, Page 5

A YOUTHFUL DESPERADO

DETAILS OF MAPLE’S CAPTURE SHOT BETWEEN THE EYES. Proas Association— By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, March 27. (Received March 27, at 11.15 p.m.) It now transpires that the man shot by Maple at Neerin Junction was a returned soldier named George Woolstencroft. The latter sighted Maple taking cover behind a log and rode at him swinging his rifle to the level. The boy fired a shot, shattering Woolstencroft’s rifle stock. Woolstencroft attempted to draw a revolver, but received a bullet in the shoulder, and as he turned to gallop to cover he was shot through the lung. In view of this, the police had issued to them Army rifles and were ordered to shoot Maple on sight, as he was no longer regarded as a misguided youth but a young desperado. Today an armed party came upon him near Neerin Junction, and he fired twice. A fusillade was thenfired at him, and he fell, shot between the eyes. He is not expected to live until he reaches the hospital. Banks (Maple’s associate) states that the latter told him he intended to parallel the worst exploits of Australian bushrangers, and that he would not be taken alive.