YOUTH IN BUSH WITH GUN

Southland Times, Issue 24596, 19 November 1941, Page 6

YOUTH IN BUSH WITH GUN

THEFT FROM KAIKORAI HOUSE CAPTURED BY POLICE (P.A.) DUNEDIN, November 18. Armed with a shotgun and cartridges which he had stolen from a house in Kaikorai Valley on Friday last, a 16-year-old Maori took to the bush in the vicinity of Fraser’s Gully and after causing some apprehension among the residents of the district was captured late this afternoon. When apprehended he was suffering from a flesh wound on the left side, and it is suggested from the nature of the injury that when faced with arrest he might have attempted to take his own life. He was admitted to hospital. When the theft of the gun and cartridges was reported steps were at once taken to trace the thief, and although he was seen on two occasions actual 'contact was not made with him until Monday evening, when Detective M. Brown discovered him hiding in a shed. Knowing that the youth was armed, Detective Brown went to summon assistance, but during his absence the lad escaped and made off into the bush again. FUGITIVE SIGHTED A police party then took up the search, which was continued today, when Superintendent P. J. O’Hara and Inspector W. E. Packer took charge of the operations. The bush in the vicin- I ity of Fraser’s Gully was thoroughly | combed, but it was not until shortly < after 4 p.m. that the fugitive was sighted. He was then in a thick patch of gorse at the Burnside end of the gully and Sergeant S. Davenport, Constables G. Claridge, W. Mather and Dwan made in that direction. Constable Dwan separated from the party and, taking another route, was the first to come up with the youth. The other ! members of the party, when about 100 yards away from Constable Dwan and | the youth, heard a report and on reach- j ing the spot found the fugitive in the I custody of the Constable and bleeding i from a wound in the side. A discharged shotgun was lying beside him. | Those members of the police party | who were armed were carrying rifles • of small calibre, and since the fugitive’s wound was obviously inflicted by a shotgun it would appear that when he I found capture was inevitable he at- j tempted to shoot himself. The youth • was conveyed to hospital in an ambul- I ance and will in due course appear I before the Children’s Court.