ELUDING THE POLICE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 65

ELUDING THE POLICE.

TREMBATH STILL AT LARGE. ' (Fbom Our Own CoKitEsroxr-raT.) ASHBURTON, June 7. Trembath has so far retained hil liberty, and as far as is known is walking south, his goal probably being Waimate. A resident of Ashburton* who happened to be driving near Arundel yesterday afternoon, was stopped by a 'man who emerged from some gorse bushes, and who asked (or a match. The request was complied with, and the stranger casually asked what state the upper ford was in. He was told that' there was a fair volume of water, and that the bottom was very rough. He then proceeded on his way, and it was not until it was too late that his informant thought of Trembath. Last evening it was reported in Ashburton that a man had been seen by a farmer, riding a lady's bicycle, between Arundel and Geraldine If this report is correct and the man seen was Trembath, it is obvious that he must in some way have managed to cross the Rangitata River with the bicycle. Last night was very foggy, and if Trembath had really crossed the river there seemed to be a good chance of his getting pretty, far south by daylight Tlhe police a t re following up traces very carefully, and the search has now progressed so far that operations are being carried on outside the Ashburton district, although the Ashburton constables are still engaged in the chase. It will be remembered that Trembath put up at Dellow's. Boarding-house in Mayfield on Saturday, and some idea of his audacity and plausibility may be gained when it is learnt that he calmly sat at tea and heard the family read the account of his escape from the evening paper. It was afterwards remembered that when the subject was first broached he shaded his face with his hand and began to talk idly to a child who was sitting next to him. He was heard to get up practically in the middle of the, night, but he had so won the confidence of the people in the house that no one suspected him until some time after Mrs Dellow's bicycle was missing, A number of constables have arrived in search of Trembath. Detectives Eade and Kennedy are in the Timaru district. Detective Osborne and Constable Duniop arrive 4 from Christchuch by the nrst j.rain morning, and they are pursuing a tail from Arundel Some of the gflice have gone towards Eairlie. The escape is the sole topic of conversation in the district. It is stated that the fugitive knows the country well, and the opinion has been expressed that probably the police are on the wrong trail, and that Trembath ha 6 doubled back from Mayfield to Rakaia. and so on to Chmtchurch, where he is well known.