EXTENSIVE EMBEZZLEMENTS IN VICTORIA.—CLEVER CAPTURE OF THE FUGITIVE BY THE AUCKLAND POLICE.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 221, 23 September 1870, Page 2

EXTENSIVE EMBEZZLEMENTS IN VICTORIA.—CLEVER CAPTURE OF THE FUGITIVE BY THE AUCKLAND POLICE.

FROM TO-DAY'S " HERALD."

About eight days ago Inspector Broham, of the Auckland police force, received a warrant from Melbourne, via Wellington, empowering him to arrest one Thomas L. Harris, who was lately Secretary to the Bulla Shire Council, Victoria, and who had suddenly decamped about seven or eight weeks ago, taking with him the sum of £650, tho property of the Council. It was strongly suspected that he had taken his departure for New Zealand, and a warrant was at once issued and sent to Wellington for his arrest, accompanying which was a description of the defaulter, together with the particular*, of the fraud he had committed. An individual answering the description had, it appears, arrived in Wellington, but had taken his departure northwards, and the warrant was accordingly forwarded to Inspector Broham, of this city, with instructions to arrest him if possible, in order that he might be remitted to Victoria to answer for his offence. Itwouid seem that Harris, on his way up from Wellington, called in at Napier, where he stayed some little time, but he came 011 to Auckland by the Taranaki on her last trip to this port. The case was placed in the hands of Detective Murphy, who succeeded in ascertaining as a fact that Harris arrived by the above-named vessel, but every effort to lay haod upon him failed, for it seemed that he disguised himself as much as possible, and went under a variety of names. But, after considerable difficulty, the police succeeded in getting a clue, for they found that a person answeiing his description had been lodging at a, house in Official Bay, under the name of Captain Mordaunt. He had also passed under the name of Etheridge, as well as taking several other names at various times. Indeed, he seemed to have a name for every day in the week, in order, as much as possible to throw the officers of justice off the scent. With the money which he is alleged to have embezzled, he made pretty free, and while in Auckland he seems to have fixed his attention upon a lady of some little attraction, who returned the kindly feeling—although it is said that she is a married woman. How ever this may be, the luckless par agreed to make common cause with each other ; and the better to elude the vigilance of enquiring friends, they took passage on board the barque Santon, for New York. A number of boxes and other luggage was put on board that vessel, which left the harbour yesterday. But the police had not been idle, and they succeeded in satisfying themselves that the man they were after had taken his passage in this vessel, and that he was accompanied by a lady. The Santon was to have left the harbour on Wednesday, and on the previous evening Detective Murphy, accompanied by an ofli.-er of the Customs went on board in order to search the vessel for the runaways, but without avail. We are informed that the captain of the Santon threw every possible obstruction in the way of the officers. Although, however, they got no very definite cue on Wednesday, they were not to be put off the scent, and they again went on board the vessel yesterday, at noon, and made a thorough search. L'hey then found the boxes, &c, belonging to Harris and his female companion, but there were no signs of these worthies, although the officers learnt that their passages had been paid to New York. Thinking it not very likely that this course would be pursued unless they meant to go on to that place. Murphy decided upon remaining on board the vessel until the last possible moment, while Carrigan, of the Water Police, was despatched in the pilot's cutter to follow in the wake of the vessel in case of anything turning up, Murphy himself intending to leave the ship with Capain Burgess, the pilot, who gave every possible asasistancc** to the police. About half-past one o'clock the Santon left the harbour with a fairwind, and by half-past three she was well up with Tiritiri, but up to this time no sign had been seen of the fugitive, although it was strongly suspected that he was on ahead waiting the arrival of the Santon. When within a few miles of Tiritiri Captain Burgess and the detective (the latter very reluctantly) were compelled to quit the vessel nnd embark on board the pilot boat, which at once filled away, as though about to return to Auckland. But the eye. of every man in tho cutter were will open, and scanning the sea as well as the vessel they had left. Within a very short time the house-flag, which had been flying at the main truck, was seen to bo hauled down, and a few minutes later Captain Burgess observed through his glass a small boat leaving the shore, and crowding all sail after the Santon. A second glance sufficed to show that the parties they were in search of were in the boat, and the cutter at once put about, and dashed away back to the Santon under a press of canvas, in order to cut off the smaller boat. The race appears to have been a very tight affair, the watermen in the boat crowding on all sail, but the superior speed of the cutter won her the victory, and when within a short distance of the ship she cut off the wherry, and very nearly ran her down. Harris was sitting in the stern steering, and the lady was sitting beside him. Murphy at once sprung into the boat and called upon him to surrender, which he at once did, seeing that resistance was in vain. The vessel then backed her main yard and allowed the officer to go on board, when the boxes, &c, of the fugitives were put on board the cutter, I the vessel filled away on her course, and the officers brought Harris and the woman on to Auckland, which they reached about midnight. When Harris was searched a small sixbarrelled revolver was found in his pocket, but he never attempted to use it. On searching the boxes a sum of money amounting to nearly £200, was found. It stems that the watermen were hired on Tuesday night, since which time the party had been waiting for the vessel to come up. They had a plentiful supply of provisions and a tent, which they fixed up on the shore on Wednesday night, and appear to have made themselves very jolly. Harris himself is a very cool card, and told our reporter in the guard-room a number of the facts mentioned above with the greatest sang froid.