A DETECTIVE'S NARRATIVE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 14

A DETECTIVE'S NARRATIVE.

HARDSHIPS OF THE SEARCH,. Det«otiv2 Broberg, of the Wellington staff, gave a Post reporter an intef esting account. of the search and ultimate cap- ' lure of Hare Matenga, the-Maori {fugitives •nho feil into the " arms of the law" a few days ago after an intermittent search ■soctflnding over nearly six years. THE CHARGE. In September, 1902, Matenga, a Where/ ponga Native of the Ngatiporou tribe, was wanted 'at Waipiro Bay on a charge of stealing the horse of another Maori. When 'a Native constable went to arrest him, Matenga took to the bush. ~A party wae organised to search for him, but their efforts to effect his capture were futile. From this time onward the camps of surverors, bushmen, attd others .were visited by somebody unknown to, the policfe iduring the absence of the occupants, and such things as guns, watches, wearing apparel, and food stolen. On different 'occasions; the Native constable on the East Coast went into' the baok-blocks to investigate these offences, but never got near Matenga, who was alleged^to be the offender. Early' in 1906 -the thefts had become much more -frequent and more serious, and, as a numher of guns_an6j a large amount- of ammuni-; tion w^ere stolen, the. bushinen got some-! what alarmed at this, and the Police Department decided to Take active stens to ,trys and capture Matenga, and the Commi6eioner of Police, Mr Dinnie, ia to be complimented on the persistency with which he organised and controlled the long search. \ HIDING IN THE" BUSH. Matenga had not been actually seen since he disappeared in 1902, excepting on one occasion, when, in March, 19J36, ,he suddenly appeared at a Maori tisetttement: ~"uat Tupawairoa, and got a Native woman Hoana to cut his hair and beard, whioh by this time had grown to a great length. After this operation he once more disappeared into the wilds of the fetish. In 1906, Constables 'Melleopj of Port Awanui, and "JTLeod, of Tologa Bay, went out to the Waitahara country at theTiack of Tokomaru Bay, and organised a party -of about a dozen station hands -and bushmen, who went into the bush and Searched once again for the fugitive! > ' After about a fortnight of considerable hardships, during which time a portion of the party were bushed for a night in the snow, and one of them severely • frostbitten, lie hunt was abandoned. A few of Matenga's camps had been found, as well as a small patch that had been cleared in the bush. In the following month Commissioner Dinnie cent Detective Broberg, of Wellington, to take charge of further operations. Brobere took with him Con•table M'Alister, of Napier, and on arriving

rotM^r engaged Mr J. M. ] t i '. • '' ion ttxi, wao^for some yea-ns i Ba- - ---. tnc district, s a^-fa guide. j Tho liiade a thorough search of the mountainous bush in the Raukumara Range under J&e most trying weather conditions, andT experienced the worst winter known in those parts for yeai». Time after time, when out on flying camps, the -snow and heavy rains drove them back ,to their main camp. Their food consisted 'chiefly* of meat and. biscuits. Encouraged by finding recent camps of the butlaw (on one occasion they discovered where he had slept the previous night) v ihey kept- at it until .November ' when, £ after r.-finding '-<a .->*eries, .of camps at the head of the Waitahara River," they* located Matenga'e most recent hiding place. They found his billycans, "plates, etc., carefully covered over with sacks, and a supply of firewood, and this satisfied the searchers that Matenga had not merely shifted his camp, but had left the district. There was nothing, however, to indicate 1 in what •» direction he had gone. Amongst other things connected with the fugitive the searchers found places where Matengahad- been practising with his rifle by shooting at tins stuck on tree stumps, - and there was ample evidence that "he was a fairly good shot. After watching his latest camp for about a month, without any sign of his (.returning, the pj&rty, after five months _ of \ hard work, during which .miles and miles i;of the roughest country in the island were iHraversed and .searched, withdrew in i December.