Commissioner of New Zealand Police.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XX, 16 May 1903, Page 1359

Commissioner of New Zealand Police.

INSPECTOR WALTER DENNIE’S APPOINTMENT. (From Our Special Correspondent.! LONDON, April 9. Chief inspector Walter Dimiie, of the Criminal Investigation Department, New Scotland Yard, who has been appointed Commissioner of Police for New Zealand, retired this week from the Metropolitan Police Force on a well-earned pension, after serving 27 years, and sails for Wellington on the 23rd by the Ruapehu. Mr Dinnie is a son of the late Mr Robert Dinnie, who was well-known in Scotland as an historian and poet, and is a brother of the famous Donald Dinnie, champion Scottish all - round athlete of the world, and was born at Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. Donald, by the way, is now settled down at Newcastle-on-Tyne. Mr Walter Dinnie in his younger days was a good athlete himself, carrying off many prizes in amateur sports both in Scotland and England Mr Dinnie had a sound education at the Aberdeen Grammar School, and for two years acted as assistant clerk in the National Bank of Scotland, but wanting to see more of the world, lie left the bank, and in 1873 joined the West Riding of York Constabulary, where he was at once appointed as assistant clerk to the superintendent of the Bradford district, and subsequently clerk to the superintendent at Goole division. After serving three years with the view of improving his position, he resigned, and joined the Metropolitan Police in London in 1876, where again he was appointed assistant clerk to the executive branch of the commissioner’s office, and was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant and clerk to the chief constable of the Criminal Investigation Department. In 1883 he began his career as a detective, and will be well remembered in connection with the bringing to justice of many notorious criminals. For a time he devoted his attention to longfirm swindles, such as Messrs Hodge & Co., who had a large place in Oxfordstreet, and obtained goods from all parts of Great Britain to the value of thousands of pounds, penal servitude being the result to various members of the firm. The milk frauds, Messrs Plenty & Co., also were stopped in a similar manner. The breaking up of the London Fire ring was entirely due to Mr Walter Dinnie, this most dangerous crime—obtaining money from insurance companies by setting fire to private dwellings and coffee houses—having been carried on for some years with considerable success. The result of the prosecution was that nine persons were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. The Lever frauds on Lords Dudley and Roslyn were detected by Mr Dinnie, who recovered most of the money obtained by a woman who represented she was the daughter of Lord Dudley’s trainer and temporarily required money to make certain payments during the absence of her father; two men were concerned with her, and all were sentenced to long terms of penal servitude. Charles Wells, of Monte Carlo fame (the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo), was arrested and brought to England by Mr Dinnie, his system of fraud being to represent that he had found the secret of using exhaust steam. He had elaborate engineering premises fixed up in Great Port-land-street, W., boats running on tha Thames, and a beautiful yacht, upon which he was enjoying himself with his mistress when arrested. This roguo Wells obtained thousands of pounds from philanthropic ladies and gentlemen, and although He broke the bank

on one occasion at Monte Carlo he subsequently lost all he won and also all he had obtained by fraud. He had eight years’ penal servitude in winch to brood over his losses. The robbery of tin Duchess of Sutherland’s jewels was ong of Mr Dinnie’s important cases, and it was entirely owing to his practical knowledge of criminals which led to his success in tracing the offender (Harry the Valet), and bringing him to justice, also recovering some of the most valuable articles of jewellery. The thief in this ease was sentenced to seven years* penal servitude. The last, and probably oife of his most important cases, was the extensive Bank of England forged note enquiry, which lasted two year-, when, with the combined action of Mr Dinnie and Inspector Davidson, of the. City police, no fewer than 18 persons, mostly foreign Jews, were brought to justice, their combined sentences b i ig 127 years. This was one of the most important prosecutions undertaken by the bank for many years past wit h such great success. Like most m ii with much experience in dealing with criminals, Mr Dinnie could easily till a volume or two with stories of engrossing interest, but he is not sorry to say he has not had many cases of murder or violence through his hands. Most of his experiences have been with cases of fraud, forgery, or blackmailing, and there is plenty of scope for the exercise of one’s wits in such cases as those. One thing Mr Dinnie is justly proud*of: After he had been a little while in Scotland Yard he entirely re organised the system of registration of criminals, and his new system is now being adopted. The basis of it is that one docket is kept for each offender, and his whole career can be referred to in an instant. Mr Dinnie has also formed some decided opinions on the evils of the shortservice system in the police. Every inducement, by pension and otherwise, should, he thinks, be held out so as to retain in the force the men that have gained valuable experience. In England most of the best men clear out and take their pension when they are only 45. The loss that that means is especially felt in the detective department. A detective is at his best and more valuable than ever after he has had 25 years’ service. His memories alone are immensely valuable to the department, and he could go on doing most useful work until he is long past sixty. Frequent changes “at the top” are also an evil, for no sooner do the superiors get to know the men under them than they—the superiors—are moved or retired, and there is consequently disastrous waste of labour.

In the course of his long career Mr Dinnie has been over and over again rewarded for his energy and tact in protecting the law-abiding members of the community against the lawless by bringing criminals to justice, and lie holds scores of commendations from judges, magistrates, ami the commismissioners of the Metropolitan police. It is a great pleasure also to him to know that he has left Scotland Yard with the good wishes of everyone in the force, and of the many friends that he has made in the course of his service. Mr Dinnie, by the way, is a married man with five boys, the eldest 19. May they all prosper in their new home.