HUNTED FOR YEARS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13946, 29 April 1909, Page 4

HUNTED FOR YEARS.

. CRIMINAL'S EXTRAORDINARY CA'itEER; The remarkable improbability, amounting almost to. positive futility, of criminals who are really badly wanted escaping being brought to justice is admirably exemplified in the career of crime of M'Lauglilan, who was arrested last week in Queensland, I charged 'with a crime committed in Africa nearly twenty years ago. M'Laughlan is a one-handed man, vvhose specialty was dynamiting safes, I and it was in conducting one of these operations that he lost his hand. [Early in the "nineties" he was sentenced :to a term of imprisonment, and, attributing his conviction to the evidence of a man named Stevenson, he said, when he was being taken away, "When I come out I will square accounts with you, Steve." The threat waa regarded as one of those which are not infrequently heard in a criminal Court but are very seldom carried out. However, when the safe-exploding expert came oxit, he made a hee-rlino for Stevenson's house, knocked at the door which was opened by Stevenson, whom M'Laughlan thereupon shotf dead. Over a fence, and away went the criminal, I but the. deed had been witnessed by a Cape black, who made an effort to I stop him. But the dark skin, too, was drilled through with a bullet, and the murderer got away. South Africa was 'scon-rod, and a reward of £200 was offered, -but the notorious M'Laiifrhlan was heard of no more for years. Quite a stirprising number of men were, arrested on suspicion of being the wanted, bunted man., M There is in Auckland at the present fcime a man who was in the police service in South Africa at tho time of the committal of the crime, and this man' was, among those who searched for the •lerpotrator. While perusing a New Zealand paper one day, this . officer noticed an accbiint of a niystorioua man who .- liad ; been .arrested in Auckland md sentenced to four months"' inipri?onmont., The man had been seen prowling about tho cemetery, and the police had found in a bag he had secreted^ there aUr artificial hand and i some "cracksman's" implements. The officer Kiiessed of once thnt this was M'Laughlan, and -ho applied for the reward and gave the information. At that; time Dutch rule prevailed in that portion of Africa, and the information was an extraordinarily long time reachine New Zealand. When it did come M'Laughlan was' -but. of gaol and far 'away. : . . .■ ; . ■;.'.'■

- He was never heard of again until !as{. wpelr. when he was identified in .•Queensland find arrested. The cable •stated that the m^n. taken into custody admits that he is M'Laughlon. tout protests that he is innocent of the crimes. Tho notorious character must now he about sixty years of ago. — Auckland Star. : , '