FEED PLUMMER SHOT I DEAD

Wairoa Bell, Volume IV, Issue 160, 26 August 1892, Page 2

FEED PLUMMER SHOT I DEAD

BY

A POLICEMAN.

Frederick Plummer, one of the most notorious of New Zealand burglars and prison escapees, came to his death in a somewhat tragic manner last Friday afternoon. It seems that he had recently again taken to burglary and was being sought by the Papakura police to account for burglary committed at his uncle’s farm at Plunua. The farm is under the charge of Mr W. Shepherd who reported to police constable McKuight, of Papakura, that a breech-loading fowling piece, some powder, shot and cartridges had been stolen out of the house and also some food from the safe on the morning of the 15th, on which day he had seen Plummer in the neighbourhood. The constable and Mr Shepherd searched . the neigh*,: bourhood for Plummer on the 16th and I7th instants but without success. On the night of the latter day Plummer again broke into the farmhouse, accomplishing his object by breaking a pane of the kitchen window and then unfastening the catch. The articles taken appear to have been trifling, such as some meat and bread, pair of boots, an axe, saucepan, bucket and busiu of cream. This second entry was also reported to constable McKnight and on the 18th a furthersearch was made for Plummer, and a number of places iu the tall titree were found where Plummer had evidently' camped. On the 19th constable Me Knight, being of the opinion that Plummer had cleared out, wired to the Mercer and Pukekohe police to watch the roads. He and Mr Shepherd, however, continued tire search and found traces of their man irr some dense furze near the railway station. About three o’clock iu the afternoon when about to search an empty house o the liunna road, the}* saw Plummer in the orchard and ran towards him. Plummermade off for the furze and cons: able McKuight called out If you don’t stop, 111 fire at you.” No stop was made and the constable, from a distance of 200 yards, fired over Plummer’s head with his revolver in order to intimidate him. Chase was made and it is stated that Plummer fired two shots and Lhepherd one all without effect. It was then fuuud that Plummer was hiding in the drain alongside the road , the drain being about three feet deep with water at the bottom, and covered with furze aud titree. The constable called upon PI ummer to come out and to enforce his demand fired his revolver, as he thought, about fifteen yards ahead of the hidden man. No answer was received and Shepherd called “ Come out, don’t he a fool !” There being still no answer the two men advanced towards the drain and after searching were surprised to find Plummer lying dead in the drain with a revolver bullet through his head. The constable's last shot had evidently struck him on the left side near the temple and gone out behind the ear. The inquest was held on Saturday at Mr C. Plummer’s farm, Mrs Plummer being present. Inspector Broham explained that Plummer was known as a desperate man, possessed of arms and ammunition stolen from his brother’s house. He contended that the constable had a perfect right to secure the man. Mr Broham quoted law to show justifiable homicide, as the constable and his assistant had been twice fired at Constable Andrew McKnight, of Papakura. deposed that on the 16tli inst., about 3.30 in the afternoon, William Shepherd stated that Charles Plummers house had been broken into, and a double-barrehed fowling-piece and ammunition taken, also a dish containing pie and other food. Entrance was obtained by the xfipdow, which wits broken from the outside. On Thursday, when Shepherd reported that the house was again robbed, the constable found lairs in the tea tree and also the pie dish and clothing.

They searched all Thursday and all Friday rill three in the afternoon, when Plummer was seen near the Plunua station, on Rooney’s farm. Shepherd and McKuight decided to search an empty house. While going there witness saw some one drop out of a tree near the Hunua road into the furze. Shepherd said ; ‘ That’s Plummer ! ’ Witness called : ‘ Stop, Plummer, if j r ou don’ I’ll fire ! ’ Plummer commenced going to the fence. Witness fired the revolver over his head from a distance of two hundred yards. Witness called to Shepherd to go towards the house, and himself ran to the railway station. He heard a shot fired from Shepherd's direction. Shepherd had a carbine. Witness saw Plummer near the road. Plummer fired at witness from 150 yards. He did not sea what the weapon was. He thought it was a revolver. Plummer disappeared through tlie fence. Witness ran to the gate leading to the road. He heard another shot fired, not by Shepherd. Plummer got in the drain under the hedge. Shepherd went into the drain and called out that Plummer was going back. Witness shouted out to Plummer to stop, or he would shoot. To intimidate him, witness, who was some thirty feet along the road, fired into the drain. Hearing no sound, Shepherd came to witness and got into the drain from the road. There Plummer was found quite dead. Before this Shepherd had shouted ‘ Will I fire ?’ but xvituess told him not to do so as he wanted to take Plummer without injury. Further evidence was taken and the jury were unanimously of opinion that the deceased Fred Plummer came to his death by j ustifiable homicide committed by Constable McKnight while executing his duty. The jury further desired to express their good opinion of the constable’s conduct. Plummer, who was born in London, came out to the Colony in 1860 at the age of eighteen years, and first went to farming with his uncles then at Port Albert. It was there that he first took to burglary which he afterwards carried on in Auckland. For this crime he has spent nearly a third part, of his life in prison, from which he at times made several daring escapes. On the third January 1882 he received his last sentence of ten years and was sent to Wellington to serve his time. He returned to Auckland a free man in 1890 and expressed a determination to reform and make amends for his past misdeeds. In May IS9I Mr Plummer called at the Wairoa Bell office and got some handbills out announcing his intention to lecture, In a subsequent letter to us Mr Plummer wrote “ I never had so much trouble iu my life in putting words together as those which formed the reading matter of those hills.” However they were printed, posted up, and circulated announcing lectures at Aratapu and Ivopuru. The hour arrived for the lecture at Te Kopuru, The bell was rung. No one came. A pause. Another long and vigorous pull at the bell by Mr Barclay but no arrivals. The lights were put out. The next night was Aratapu ; but how many came, or how many didn’t come I have no idea, for go there I could not. I was well enough, strong enough, and indeed eager to be there, but no earthly power seemed to he able to get me nearer to Aratapu than Mang-awhare so there I stopped.” Mr Plummer, in his letter, goes on to speak of his attempts to speak at Dargaville, Onehunga and Otahuhu hut all without success ; the onlylecture he speaks of having delivered was at Arapohue; Mr Plummer seams to have pledged himself to Pnstor Birch to endeavour to make restitution to those he had l-obbed in the past and had the idea that by lecturing he could make money. The failure of his attempts had evident!}- checked his good resolutions. In June last he was married to a Miss Hurst after an acquaintance of six months, and it was thought by some that he would then settle down. Last, Monday week he left his wife to see. after a house at Mt. Roskill and was not again heard of Try his wife till she received the news of his death.