ROUNDING UP DESERTERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14647, 3 July 1918, Page 6

ROUNDING UP DESERTERS.

STORY OF THE LARKIN CAPTURE

The story of the Larkin brothers, who have gained a considerable notoriety as military deserters, makes interesting reading. The Larkins escaped from Trentham camp, attacking the guard, while m custody, andi were wanted by the military authorities both as deserters and for breaking tamp. The authorities had gained information which led them to believe that the two men were, with others similarly wanted, m a scrub-cutting camp, near the coast at the back of Martinborough, and a party was formed to raid the country thereabout.

A party of 25 mounted! men and 10 civil police made secret preparations, the military party leaving as if going out on manoeuvres, thereby throwing 1 off all suspicion. The necessary secrecy made it difficut to obtain particulars of I the raid, but on the "return it was \ learned from several of the troopers that the Commandant, with, the civil police i under Sergeant CKHara, of Wellington, j left from at point near Featherston m 'motor cars, and on Wednesday night last, about midnight, the parties met m the backbkxsks some 35 miles from j Featherston. Here final arrangements (were made, and the raiders divided into parties under Sergeant O'Hara and Constable McLeod, of Featfcerston. It was the latter party which captured the notorious Larkins early the next morning. They proceeded to Lagoon . Hill, after leaving Featherston, abandoning the motor enrs about two miles before arriving at the station, where the manager, Mr. Hewitson, met them and acted as guide when they Jeft ;igain to search the scrub-cutting camp. The objective was a. camp about four miles from Lagoon Hill, and this was reached m 'the dark, after passing . over very rough country, made the more difficult to walk over by the recent rains. After a hard walk over broken country the party arrived 1 at the gulllylin which it was supposed that the scub-cutters were encamped. The side of this was exceptionally rough, and after a slow progress down the almost perpendicular surface the foot was reached. The camp 1 was small, and although a good deal of ■ work evidently had been done m the cutting, there was only one tent with a galley. The party surrounded this* and Constable McLeod 1 entered and found four men sleeping inside. They awakened on his entry, and it was apparent that two of them resembled the description of the Larkin brothers. ! The constable covered the two Larkins ; with a loaded Revolver while he was mii terrogating them. The other two men j produced papers to show that they were both over military age, and although the Larkins both denied their identity and produced papers m their effort to avoid arrest, they answered the descrip--1 lions so completely that there was no ! doubt as to their being the deserters. Tlie two men were marched up the gully, and after a very rough journey over the broken country, the party arrived at Featherston late on Thursday with their prisoners, who were confined m the civil cells. When it was evident ' that escape was out of the question, the two men admitted! that they were the Larkins who caused such a stir when I they esaapedi from Trentham some time I ago." — Wairarapa Daily Times.