Hunt Goes On In Difficult Country

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1949, Page 5

Hunt Goes On In Difficult Country

AUCKLAND, February 2. . TKe man Who shot dead the 24-year-old traffic inspector, Mr. John Kehoe, and wounded Mr. Arthur William Godfrey Wiggins, the 35-year-old contractor, about five .miles from Whakatane on Monday night, was still at large tonight. The grim probability that the murderer is armed with a .38 pistol and ammunition, has spread alarm among hundreds of people in the townships and scattered farm lands. Light's were . burning all night in some houses on the outskirts of Whakatane last night. However, there is a reassuring sight in the presenc'e of armed police and civilians guarding. bridges around. *

Paft of the search in which some 26 police and about 50 civilian volunteers, mostly Legion of Frontiersnlen, took part, was directed today to the scrub and bush t'overed hills behind Te Teko, a small settlement 17 miles soutlivvest of Whakatane. This move i followed a report that the wanted man may have been in the vicin- : ity of the Te Teko hotel early this morning. Two civilian volunteers who w.ere,seated in a motor car 011 guard duty on the Te Teko bridge, heard a splash from the near bank of the Rangitaiki River at about 2 o'clock this morning. They then saw a shadowy figure move along the low bank into a elump of pine trees below. He then disappeared. - DIFFICULT COUNTRY. If the wanted man was the person seen by the twTo volunteers 011 the bridge, it is thought he may be trying to get to Matahina, 11 miles from Te Teko, a settlement t'or timber workers at the Wliakatane Board Mills Ltd. plantation. After leaving the area where the crimes were committed, he avouIcI have had a walk of about eight miles in a direct line to M'oss the Rangitaiki Plains farm land to the Te Teko bridge. He must have then swam the 50 yard wide rivef to reach the Te Teko bank. For about. 10 miles beyond Te Teko he would be 011 fiaf farm land well studded with clumps of trees. Then he would be in country that even an army of men could not comb thoroughly. High fern and ti-tree cover the succession of steep hills that lower above the river. About three miles from Te Teko the pine plantations begin and they stretch as far as the eye can see toward the Eotoru-Wai-karemoana highway. There is hardly a sign of habitation between Te Teko and Matahina 011 the south bank of the river. Scrub and liative bush divided by patehes of farm land, cover the liills. A thorough search of this country would be impossible and the police are concentrating on keepiug a lookout, from vantage points. However, hunger may bring the man into the open very "soon. , ARDUOUS VIGIL. The system of gua.rds at bridges and on other road points in the district, is being maintained today. The guards and searchers Yvorked in blazing sunshine. Many of the men 011 duty were showing the strain of their long vigil. Some of the volunteers had been away from their' homes for 28 hours and had snatched only a few hours sleep in their cars. The police were reinforeed today by anothei six men. It is u,nderstood the fugitive had at least three firearms in his possession. One was a registered rifle, another was a shotgun which does not require registration, and the third was probably a revolver 01* pistol. A number of military books about marksmanship were found in his rooms. There were also pieces of deerstalking equipment. SIX SHOTS FIRED. After Mr. Kehoe had pursued th'e man 011 the motor-eycle from a street in Whakatane and forced him into a bank opposite Mr. Wiggins' liome, six shots were fired from' the suspect's pistol. The first shot smashed the second silver button below the collar of Mr.. Eiehoe's uniform and entered his chest. He died witliin 15 minutes. A second shot was fired at Mr. Wiggins, and when the- police closely examined Mr. Kehoe 's body they found that four bullets had smashed into the midctle of the roadway within inches of his' head, suggesting that these had been fired after the inspector had slumped 011 to the road. After the shooting, Mr. Wiggins' assailant rau to Mr. Kehoe 's coupe car and tried to start it, but failed. He then ran off in . the direction of the paper mills. Later the .police visited a hut at the paper mills and found a scribbled note which read: "Goodbye, Mum. Guess I'm sorry ifi a way, btit I still love my f olk. ' 5