TE AWAITE MURDER

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1927, Page 6

TE AWAITE MURDER

HOW ELLIS WAS TRAPPED NOT CAUGHT SINGLE-HANDED. EX-CONSTABLE’S STORY’. The old police cells in Wellington were recently demolished. This led a Post reporter to write an interesting article on murderers who had been lodged in the cells at various times. One paragraph read as follows: “Another murderer who was placed in the Cells before being taken to the Terrace Gaol was James William Ellis, who later expiated his crime upon the scaffold. A long and sensational chase resulted in his capture, single-handed, by Chief Detective (now Superintendent) Broberg, in the Waipawa district, where he was found sleeping alongside a loaded gun in an empty hut.”

The story of how the murderer was captured single-handed has often appeared in New Zealand papers, but this is hardly correct. Mr. J. S. Willcocks, formerly a sergeant in the New Zea’-md Police Force, who resigned 10 years ago, and, who is now an inspector for the Whangarei Borough Council, has given a reporter some interesting information concerning the paragraph mentioned. THEFTS IN THE RANGES. “At the time of the Te Awaite murder, for which Ellis was eventually executed, said Mr, Willcocks, I was a mounted constable in Waipawa. Rumours became current that various whares handy to the bush near the ranges in the Ormondvrlle district had been robbed of food, clothing, ammunition, etc., but no money. Although the Wairarapa murder had been committed about nine months previously, and no trace of the suspect had since been found, there was a strong suspicion among the Hawke’s Bav police that Ellis was responsible for these thefts. During November, 1904, I was collecting agricultural statistics in a large area from Takapau to Wakarara, many settlers of which had their homesteads far back towards the ranges. While doing this work I impressed upon every settler whose home was near the bush, to keep a sharp lookout for any strange visitor and report to me at once if their places were broken into and anything r olen. On the night of November 28, 1904, I received an urgent telephone message from Mr. Geo. Douglas, who was managing a farm at Wakarara for a man named Hirst, stating that during a temporary absence Mr. Hirst’s place was broken into and a quantity of food, clothing, tobacco and sundry articles stolen. Wakarara is 30 miles from .Waipawa. I made an early start next mornifig and arrived at Hirst’s about 9 a.m. Upon investigation we found tracks leading from the bush to the h use and back again to the bush. Telegrams dis- > patched to Sergeant Smart, of Hastings, copies of which I have kept to this day will show what I did in the matter and liow strongly I suspected the culprit to be Ellis.

“I was satisfied,” continued Mr. Willcocks, “that the only way to capture the man was to set a trap at a whare some miles ahead along the ranges. Mr. Douglas informed me that there was a whare about eight miles distant along the ranges, going north, at the back of Kereru Station, used occasionally by rabbiters and musterers. So convinced was I that this would be a likely place for Ellis’s next visit that I paid a visit to the whare with Mr. Douglas that same day. It was a very laborious journey over eight miles of difficult country. We returned to Wakarara the same day, determined to get a fresh supply of food and camp in this hut for several days. For two or three days thereafter rain came on heavily and the creeks flooded, making it impossible to return to the whare until December 3. On the night of the second, Dougias and I had all preparations made to return to the whare next morning, when Detective Broberg arrived. He had been sent up as the result of my telegrams. He fell in with my plans and next morning, accompanied by Mr. Douglas, we left for the whare. We camped there for four or five days, when we ran short of food —no trace of Ellis in the meantime.” THE CAPTURE. The party returned to Wakarara, obtained fresh provisions and returned to the whare two days later. "When we got near the door on this occasion,” continued Mr. Willcocks, “we heard somebody moving inside. Detective Broberg was nearest the door and as he opened it Ellis was seen just inside, endeavouring to get out. For a second or so he and Detective Broberg etood breast to breast. It was a tense moment. Ellis’ anxiety to get into the open reminded me of a captured wild beast, forever restless and trying to escape. He held his rifle in his hand and a revolver and dagger dangled from his belt. He had five or six leather belts around his waist holding numerous leather pouches, a great number of which were filled with ammunition. He more a military tunic such as was worn by soldiers in the South African War. He reminded me of pictures I had seen of Sicilian bandits, ’a walking arsenal.’ When he found h>s way barred by Detective Broberg he made an attempt to rush back into the whare so that he could lower his rifle. The detective then forced him back on to a table in the whare, Douglas and 1 instantly following and each pinioning an arm. The rest was easy—the capture was complete. After disarming him we took him back to Wakarara and that night drove him in my gig to Waipawa.”