THE POWELKA CHASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 362, 13 April 1910, Page 5

THE POWELKA CHASE.

■ FUGITIVE SEES AT BUNNYTIIORPE ELUDES 'IHE POLICE. THE SHOOTIS'G OF SERGEANT MeGUIRE. ANOTHER STATEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmerston North, Last Night. Matters are very quiet in town tonight, all the police being out in the directions considered likely that Powelka may have taken. It has been miserably wet and cold, and three or four days of it would almost certainly send the fugitive from his hiding-place to seek more food.

It is regarded as correct that the man who passed through Bunnythorpe was Powelka. THE POLICE SEEM SLOW. About 3 o'clock this morning he passed the police patrol unsuspected, but after he had passed they became suspicious, and called,upon him to stop. He took no notice. They threatened to fire, and he jumped for the school grounds, and then, dropping a saeiv containing two pounds of meat, one cooked and the other raw, Powelka disappeared through the school grounds, and was not again seen, despite a search made by two constables constituting a patrol.

About half a mile away was Larsen's farm, and it was subsequently found that he had made up for his lost meat by raiding a cupboard, securing grilled chops, bottled fruits, and other provisions, including pickles, for which he has shown great fondness in all his raids. AMATE'JRS RETIRE. The police continue their search throughout this and other districts, but wet and cold has driven 'amateur searchers and armed bands generally to their homes, so that the streets' are Singularly quiet in contrast to the stir of the last two nights. There is tremendous relief that the man has even temporarily left the town. WHO SHOT McGUIRE ? The Manawatu Paily Times, referring to the suggestions in Wellington papers and current rumors that Sergeant McGuire was not shot by the suspect, but by one of the searchers in his own party, states that 't has had an opportunity of fully investigating the facts, and is satisfied that the man who shot Sergeant McGuire was the man whom the sergeant found flattened up nsainst •a door on the fro it verandah of Hampton's house to avoid observation. This man. Sergeant McCuire states, wore a mask, and the sergeant closed with him directly, and the pair struggled out across the gravel path on to'the lawn, where, while st<"!l on the ground, the man shot the sergeant either deliberately or through the revolver going off in the excitement.

Detective Quartermain and Hampton just then came on the scene, and Quartermain fired at the flash* Hampton believes that tha man ran behind a house and then back acrain, and opt over a low herl<?e at the front and across Fenruson-street, into the paddocks opposite. He was therefore not in the block when the cordon was placed round the latter. A BUSINESS MAN'S STORY. A local business man states that on Monday night he was stuck up by a local man with two revolvers, who ap parently was not clear as to what he was doing. He counselled him to "0 home. °

• The police do not consider that this affects the statements of Richirds. who identified the man who stuck up his cart as Powelka. INQUEST UPON QUIRK. 1 The inquest ujwn Quirk is to take place tomorrow morning. It has been proved that he was shot through the forehead, not with a shot-gun, but with an expanding bullet, which tore off the back of his head. SERGEANT McGUIRE'S CONDITION. Sergeant McGuiie's condition permits of some slight hope being entertained. THE MINISTER'S REQUEST. ONLY' SANE SEARCHERS WANTED. TI-IE MAYOR'S INFLUENCE ASKED.

Wellington, Last Night. Dr. Findlay, Minister of Justice, s»nt the following telegram to the Mayor of Palmerston North this morning:—"In order to organise the present search for 'Powelka upon the safest and most'effective lines, I respectfully suggest 'to you that you co-operate with the police in limiting voluntary assistance of civilians to capable and reliable men. Possibly you have already done this. In such an event, or should you do so, please accept my thanks." PALME'RSTON'S MAYOR REPLIES. "NO FURTHER VOLUNTEERS." Wellington, Last Night. The Mayor of Palmerston replied this evening to the Hon. Dr. Findlay's message: "Thanks for your wire. I have been in constant touch with the police for some days. We are quite of the opinion that it is inadvisable to ca?l for further volunteer assistance. The number has been , considerably limited to selected men. If necessary, I will take further action." AN EXTRAORDINARY LETTER. As Ashhurst on Sunday morning the news was passed round that Powelka had left a letter in Ashhurst saying, in the course of it, that he was quite close to the police when they were looking for him on Saturdiy; also that he "was standing -within a yard of Pat Hanlon and could have shot' him dead"; further, that he was almost prompted to do so through hearing Hanlon say that he (Powelka) had attempted to shoot one of the women; and, finally, disclaiming the authorship of the Palmerston fires. The communication was said to have .been written with a bullet. By the time the storv of the loiter reached Palmerston it had stretched almost grown whiskers.

The letter was addressed "To the Man-lmnters of Ashhnrst." Pat Hanlon is a hrnthcr-in-lnw of the escapee's, and it is quite common knowledge that 'he has been living in fear of him for the last ihree weeks.

Says a Press rorrespondent:—l heard that an examination of Wilson's cottage

at Ashlmrst—Mrs. Wilson is Fowelka's niotlii?r-in-la w—b.- night to light the startling revi'ation that underneath it were all the elements of a plot to blow it-sky-high through the atmosphere. ARE THERE FRIENDS? I have followed this mnn hunt closely, and. have been over all the ''sensational" country, and I have believed for some time that P:>welka has "a plant," and that he has at least one solid friend (says the Wellington Times' correspondent). I have reason to think that the police, too, feci sure that the man has an aider, .so it is probable that when they have time to divert their attention from the elusive Joe they will occupy their minds with the matter of discovering his abettors. If it is Powelka who has stolen so many tliin.es here he has collected far too big a stock to carry about with him. Still, they are dulv made use of. Therefore he must have a secret storage place. ■ "

The coat which he left behind when he showed his heels to Ashhurst on Saturday was one which lie betook unto his possession lons before he became a fugitive. TTis wife recognised the coat and explained that ?he had observed at the time that it wae far too expensive for him to buy. It was, indeed, a splendid coat. TTe did not have that lament at Matthews- Pitisli. The coat he hid there was left on the saddle when he desert"' 1 failing horse. Tie must have obtained the fresh '"over mantle" from a friend's place Or a "plant" of his own.

When he entered the store nt Scarborough he looked as though he had been W1 on cream for a month. That's how the shop assistant put it. If he is looking well he could not have been roughing it much, and that was most likely owing to the help of a friend. However, the most that can he said now is that the public need not he. -urpiised if someone is arrested on a charge of having assisted the fugitive. "GAVE HTM A FEED." There was a young farmer in Palmerston on Sunday night who is alleged (tlie authority is good) to have said that he and several others had known that Powelka had slept in a certain haystack in their locality on three different nights. That particular young man added that he gave Powelka a feed and that the escapee said that he only wanted to shoot three persons, whom lie named as Detective Quirke, the sergeant, and his wife. It is also alleged that the farmer said that they would not inform the police of the hiding-place until a bigger reward was offered. \ . DOGS ON THE SCENT. At a time like the present one regrets that our New Zealand "Scotland Yards" are not provided with trained dogs or black trackers. Dogs were requisitioned for the search of the Ferguson-?treet block this morning. Some of the police have dogs out with them. A WONDERFUL SHOT.

It is a fact that Powelka is a wonderful revolver shot (savs the Times' correspondent). He practised on the rats which used to frequent the abattoirs, and it was a common sight, it is said, for him to be seated nt dinner with his mates, pull his revolver from his pocket, nnd drop off each marauding rat with the precision of a crack shot, pouring in bull's-eyes at a short distance. Although he is said to have been * very quiet man, it is stated that his alleged throat to shoot his wife has led to all his recent trouble. He was married in September last, but his wife had left him. She is understood to have stated that she would come back to him if he furnished a house. This, it is alleged, he did with extraordinary rapidity by entering upon n wholesale scheme of burglary, in which hi* notable disguise was a pair of white whiskers. When he threatened to shoot 'his wife she complained to the do]ice. He was arrested with a revolver unon him. a'id it was when the police went to his house to search for the mnnunit'on tint they found the place Ml of goods which they had the description of as stolen. THE LATE MR. QUIRKE. The victim of the tragedy lived at Pahiatua, where he carried on a hairdressing and tobacconists' business 1 . He was a single man, aged about thirty-live years, and his parents live also at Pahiatua. His father, Mr. P. Quirke, now farming, was formerly in the police force, being stationed for many years on the West Ooast of the South Island. The unfortunate man made .up his mind yesterday morning to see what was going on in connection with the Powelka chase, and rode over the range from Pahiatua. One of his brothers is Constable James Quirke, who was on duty in Lambton Quay when the bad news came through to the police headquarters'. Another brother is Detective Thomas Quirke, and he has a' third brother in Auckland. A sister is Mrs. K. Vile, of Pahiatua.

Overton, who shot him, ivas formerly an artilleryman, and left the service recently to take charge of the Princess Hotel, Palmerston North. He is about thirty-five years of age, well built, and a very popular man. always regarded as cool and level-headed. What adds 1 to the painfulness of the tragedy is that Overton was a great friend of Detective Qnirke, the victim's brother. POWELKA'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISTRICT. Powelka's intimate knowledge of Paimerston is ascribed to the fact that he worked as a butcher in the place, and rode on the delivery cart Later lie was employed by the municipal abattoirs at Awapuni, and a present-day rumor ascribes to him gifts of strength wonderful in a ten-stone man. It is' said that he coul'd carry quarters of 'beef as if they were biscuits. DESCRIPTION OF POWELKA. Following is the police description of the fugitive:—"Age, about 22; height. sft lOin; native of Oxford, New Zealand. Medium build, dark complexion, dark brown lmir, blue eyes, medium mouth, nose and chin. Was clean shaved, but had about ten days' growth of beard when he escaped. Large scar near left shoulder-blade, scar on side of left kneecaps. Pinched Features. Dressed in dark Rrev coat, dark vest, greenish tweed trousters, light well-worn shirt, torn in front, blueher boots, no hat, collar or socks. Apparently he has now iprocured and is wearing other clothing."