POLICE ACTIVITIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3523, 20 September 1921, Page 22

POLICE ACTIVITIES.

DANGEROUS MEN CAPTURED. j Allan Aitchison, who was wanted by the - police on a cnai-go of a-r.iuii in causing actual bodily riann to Uon.xuble iic.-m, or the North Duueihu police, ou the mao.- ■ ol August 6, was m-restetl by Coi.stul.los Hamilton ami Ailcliiso.i ut Non h-trast Valley suortiy before 8 a.m. on Sunday. Richard Lecitie w as arresied Oy -t i, us table Ciiiqimau oil a china, ol inciting Aiu-his-m to resist arrest and oil a charge of iaiiiijgto give assistance lo me police when iequesi - d to do so. Joe t oarge ugaiii-l Aitchison followed | a len.'piione message iroiii 3'irs Ailcnison, at 86 Boiling street, Upoiio, being received i at the North-East Yailey Police hi at ion, j when Comsuible Hesse was despuohed to | the house shoniy ijefore 9 p.m. on I August 5. Ou inquiring at the house tiie const a bio was iiiforinea that Mrs Aitciii- j sou was absent, and that her husband had | retired- Constable Hesse then left, the j house and went unoui 159 yards down Dotting street and was overtaken by Aitchisoii, who asked: "Arc you the who served me with a summons?’' Constable Hesse answered quietly to the effect that I he had served the mail with a summons, j whereupon, witnout any further parley, ! Aitchison struck him a violent blow on the jaw, knocking him down. He then jumped on him, and, securing the constable’s baton, beat him about the head. On returning to the house Aitchison remarked, "I have killed that policeman,” and putting on his coat and hat lie cleared out. T no constable w as roughly handled, and sustained nine scalp wounds and an injury to his left forearm. He is now out of hospital, but will not be able to resume duty for some months. TIIE CAPTURE. Since Aitchison escaped Lie police kept a careful waten and made inquiries at various places. At 7.n 0 a.m. yesterday a mail answering the description of Aitchison was seen walking- along bcivvyn street, NorthEast Valley, and the police lost no time in getting in tiie vicinity. Tie was apparently going towards Ricliax-d Leckie’s dairy farm, and a chase ensued between Constables Aitchison and Hamilton and the suspected man On the man increasing his pace he stripped several palings off a number of fences in an attempt to secure a picket for use as a weapon. Tire police were now confirmed m their suspicion that the man was Aitchison, and the chase continued to Leckie’s property, where Aitchison was conversing with the owner at a cowbyro doorway. He had a big manuka stick in his hand at the time, and when Constables Hamilton and Aitchison approached he immediately showed fight, and a sharp tr.ssie ensued. Meanwhile Leckie incited Aitchison to resist, urging him to ‘‘give them a ‘go’ for it,” and he acted in a threatening manner. On a conslable calling for assistance he said : "Assist you : 1 would rather assist file other man.” However, Aitchison was soon overpowered and handcuffed. Constable Chapman, who then arrived, attempted to arrest Leckie, who ran up the creek into the bush. In the meantime Aitchison was conveyed to the Central Police Station and placed ill custody, and l the constables returned and arrested Leckie, who made no resistance. lie was also brought to the Central Police Station. As considerable anxiety has been felt in Dunedin while Aitchison was at: large, the constables deserve great credit for tile capture which relieves the public of a dangerous mail in its midst. B(IRSTAL INST IT’UTE PRTSt >NERS. John Andrew M‘William, who was declared an habitual criminal at the last Dunedin sitting of the Supreme Court, and j who was serving a term of three years for j .burglary, and Cecil Geoffrey Turnbull, who j was serving a term of 13 months for false pretences, and who escaped from the Borstal Institution, Invercargill, on August 50, were arrested at Gape Wanshrovv, Uamaru, on Saturday afternoon. The defectives state that after escaping from the institution the men bloke into a hairdiv-u-cr’s shop at Invercargill, and later forced an out ranee into business premises at Waikiwi. TI - were next seen at Clinton, and on Sunday, beptember 11, they stole two bicycles and some clothing from the Balclutha Railway Station. They then proceeded to Dunedin, where they entered the. premises of Mess;? A. and W. M’Carthy, gunsmiths, in Stuart street, and secured the following articles:—Two revolver:-, cartridge belts, a large quantity of ammunition, electric torches, an axe, dishing bags, two pairs of field glasses, a lent, watches, and other stores. From Bruce and Co.’s premises, in the same building, they took two suits of clothe?. The c-capc-;; were next heard of at Waikouaiti about 7 o'clock on Friday evening, and some two hours later they passe,-] through Balmerston sepal-- j alely. carrying the stolen gear on their i bicycles. PURSUIT AND CAPTURE. Chief D'-ieetive Bisnop despatch' d Detective.- Beer and Kelly to Uamaru by the | second express on Saturday morning, with I the object- of heading M‘William and Turn- j bull off. Shortly after the arrival of the j detectives at Uamaru information v.a? re- i eeived that- two si range men wc-io seen in j some bush on Cano Wrnhrow. The two I detectivi.s and Constables iMarslir.il, Vaughan, and Droingoo!, of the Oaeiai-u Station, cor off in pursuit, surrounding the lut.-h and closing in on tiie men. Coiisrahios V nughnn and Di'-eug-aol were the first to reach the prisono-s, who were having i~ a. J The police covered them with revolvers, and j on searching tne c.--u;-ec- it v.-m found lliat ; their revolt w's. which were fully loaded, were strapped to their waists. If the men ! had not: been taken by surprise shooting ; would undoubtedly have t; Lowed, a.- the j prisoners were fully prepared to fight if i I’.eeesSary. t he men were then haml-’nlied ami re- ; s'-archod at the Uamaru Police g-i a I i-m. and ! escorted to Dunedin on Saturday's second j express under the cii-a ::e of Dei.:, lives j Leer and Kelly. 'lie i? the third time 1 rl l : i M'VVilliam lias been arrested at I tbiM-ii". where, while le-eutiy in custody, he i-’-: I with u )•'!'; named Thomas. I?m both men new cammed some days After his am . i M’VVilliam remarked that ' ' ili,-* -- phi--.- was impregnable. ’’ A REVOLVER FLOURISHED. Alfred Paine wa? arrested by m recant ] Shanahan and Cou-iable 8 1 a?!.rue on Hiaiurda.v night on tiie following charga ,| A--: having in IP- p* -<•• <-.ion an mixcgi lined iovoiver, currying same without j

a license, and cat:-mg wilful damage to the extent of £2 2.-. The trouble arose in a. Icon! boai'dinghous" on Saturday eveium'-. when an ai ailment arose over the result of the test mare-h when Paine used at: instilling expression to_ Ids dispute, it. ..: d followed this up by liuian.g a -.able * a him. lie then flam isliei i a revolver. - : Ib. brought the charges upon him-e’.f.