STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 589, 7 March 1882, Page 2

STORIES OF THE PENINSULA.

No. 20.—Joun Henry Caton,

There is a very picturesque bay iti Lake Forsytii named after the .subject of this memoir, who was well known all over the Peninsula as a dealer in stock. He was a man of a great variety of trades, up to anything, and was much liked by many in tho early days. He once kept the Canterbury Hotel, in Lyttelton, and afterwards (in conjunction with D. Taylor) purchased a run near Tamutu, at the head of Lake Ellesmere. It is aaid he was burn in Hinitlifieid, close to the celebrated market, and he used to boast that lie had been connected with stock since his birth, for that reason. He want to Sydney in 184'J, and I camo to Canterbury in '53. It was about 18G0 that he bought the run previously mentioned, and entered extensively into cattle d 'aling, a pursuit which made him known in every corner of the Peninsula, from which he drew no small portion of liis supplies. Tho groat event in his life happened later. He arranged with Mr Win. Wilson, of Chnstchtirch, familiarly known as "Cabbage Wilson," to enter into a speculation for buying a large number of cattle in Nelson and Marlborough, and taking them to Dunedin, where they were scarce. Mr Wilson found the money, and the large drove was collected north und driven south, where they were disposed of at a hrge profit, tho purchase money exceeding £2000. His instructions were to bank this money in Dunedin, where be received if, but this ho did not do. lie

returned from Dunedi/i with the money in his pocket, in company with Mr IT. Prince, and when they arrived at the Waitaki, the boundary river between Otago and Canterbury, he tried to make an arrangement with one of the men that when they were crossing the river they should create a disturbance amongst the'dogs, so that a stock whip might be used, and in the scuffle a carpet bag he carried, supposed to contain ! the money, might be lost overboard. The man in question agreed, and when they were crossing the river the plan was carried out, but, unluckily for C.ton, a pas senger rescued the carpet bag before it sank, so this plan iailed. They rested that night on the north side of the Waitaki. and Caton made an excuse to leave the camp to look after some horses in the river bed. He went away, and during his absence night came on. On his return he asked the tent keeper where was hie carpet bag, about which he evinced great anxiety. He afterwards called attention to the tent's being cut, and declared the carpet bag had been taken, and after a long search the carpet bag was found ripped open and despoiled of its supposed contents of £2000. Prince, being afraid he might bo accused, gave notice to the police, and when Caton reached Kolleston Detective H. Feast, Sergeant-mnjor Pardre, and our friend Sergeant Willis, of Akaroa, were waiting for him. They searched him without result, but at the bottom of a pair of long boots, hung over a chair to dry, the £2000 was found. The trial created great interest, and he was eventually sentenced to four years' imprisonment at Lyttelton Gaol. After his release he went to Sydney, where he was drowned some time after in the river McLachlan. He was a man of remarkable talents, and might have made quite a prominent figure in life had it not been for his unfortunate propensity. His name is quite a byword in the county. The later event recorded took place about 1872.