THE CLYDE ROBBERY.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 40, 17 August 1870, Page 5

THE CLYDE ROBBERY.

Apprehension op One ok ihe ThiHwß AND RECOVERY OK NEARLY THE W@j..hV ok the Gold and Bank Notes. (H Fourteen days ago, wo published an account of an extensive and, what appeared at that time, most daring robbery of gold and notes, from the Police Camp at Clyde. It is with much pleasure that we to-djut, inform our readers that tho then lost a ' , with the exception of thirty ounces, is &hw( : again in the hands of the authorities flfi whom it was taken, as also are all WB two bundles, as to how the gold and we seem to have according to tho confos- , sionmadeby George Rennie, the man wh > is in custody. In the first place, the prisoner, who the time of his arrest was living at Arrowy town, and pursuing his occupation of slfijl maker—is, comparatively speaking, a "sW|§ chum." He has only been in the ProvinW about two years and a-half. About two years ago, he and his wife were engaged in Dunedin to go to the Wakatip Hospital—himself as warder, and his wife as matron —at which place both remained for several months, until his wife was taken seriously ill, and died in the hospital, leaving an I infant only a few weeks old„ During the I time they were in the hospital they gave | great satisfaction. Immediately after .rhe I death of his wife, Rennie went to Arrdßte [ town, where he commenced business as! a, shoemaker, and was well supported. Os, was always sober, civil, and obliging, I a really good workman. He is a I Fifeshire, Scotland; 27 or 28 years of agej I aboftt five feet six inches in height; dark1. cojii&xioned; with a rather-' Tagifcfcttte KAw Silly KjlgPte first circumstances whicljSuspicion upon Rennie were brle%yWe&e: • —When he got about 37 miles from Clyde, and within ten miles of the Avrow on the old track, not far from a hut knoMp as Harry Cook's, his horse became up. It seems that he then dismou'naß, turned his horse loose, and planted'*fH : 200 ounces of gold which he had brou<s& with him so far. He then began to burffi! his saddle, bridle, and part of his clothing The fire caused Cook, who was not far ofjjf to go up to see what was the matter, anjj| on approaching Rennie, who was stoopiifjjgj he perceived under his coat a pair of tols protruding. Cook then returned, a'ail took no further notice of the matter unjj| he heard of the robbery at Clyde. Wm then gave information to the police of hav> sj-ing seen a man with a knocked-up horse' gUp&arly on the morning following the robbery, and Constable M'Gann went to;,the spot where the articles had been Here, among the debris, he picked up v appeared to be the remnant of the a bridle. It was that part which is usiSß buckled together, but which, in this y* stance, was tied with a piece of wax-end. On this clue, the police set to work. They found that Rennie had not been at home Pfejll or in the vicinity of Arrowtown on Sunday day previous to that on which the* fobbery was committed. Many other circumstances came to their knowledge, .and on Saturday night last at 12.30, rested him on suspicion. On Simdajpfil made a partial confession to ConstflH Hunt, which was to the following effect mm That he was the man who committed the robbery ; that he would show them where the gold was deposited on their wav..ia Clyde ; that he had carried a bag cont.. : * ounces of gold to the Gentle Annie traSlf wjiereilf© had lost the smaller bag, as well bundles of bank notes. Rennie T further stated that no one besides him self was connected with the robbery ; that he started &way from the Arrow, with £M I intentioi|Sp||bbing the Camp, about <s&s! a.m. on S&jjflay, the 31st July, and ig< i into Clydtfffltet one a.m. on the mom.. of the lsc|pl§iist; that he had Clyde three weeks prior to that time, visiting a shipmate of liis—a policeman, named ( M'Lennan, who was in the Camp at the j time the robbery was committed j that during this visit he had concocted the robbery ; that he brought two sackSfcWkb him, sewed up at the mouth and wrlfj| hole cut in the centre, to use as that he also brought a dark lantern, made out of coffee tin ; that ■■ - ho opened the lack-up door and removed the inner doqr : Iff VsSsSI )U * ; B| I^WM-ry ; so he toot them out of m$ Bifijock-up, and wlien about a hundred yajfcjj fc;;ife^.,tho wall mentioned before,- opened

ia, and put the contents into tho suekSj lie-bags, put these across his horse, and ted off. His first " plant" ho mado at, milking-yard about three quarters dEfo] i from Clyde, and the second about**© yards on tho Clyde side of the DimsUl? Dairy. He then intended to carry the remainder with him, bub on proceeding : about 300 or 400 yards past tho dairy he found the horse was too heavily loaded; the top of tho rise within a short Sfflltahce of the dairy, on the left-hand side j I the road coming towards Cromwell, he I ~dfiited another parcel of the gold, taking »ftl&|g with him only 200 ozs. in one bag, and a small parcel of 30 ozs. which he lost, as before described, on the Gentle Annie track, together with some bundles of notes. Senior-constable Smith, and ConstaM|Sf Hunt and M'Gann, left Arrowtownjjjwnh on Sunday morning, i ■ vefchere about half-past seven W'the - .-.ming. Sub-Inspector Percy and Detec-tive'-'Fai-rell had meantime arrived from ('trite to meet them. The prisoner was ta'kSn to the Kawarau Hotel for refreshment, and was afterwards escorted to Clyde by a party of the police. The bag containing the 200 ounces was found by the three constables above mentioned in the place where Rennie said he had planted it; and the rest of the stolen treasure was found by the police, under the prisoner's guidance, on their road to Clyde, in the places indicated by the prisoner in his confession, g He had some difficulty in discovering thai . jVJtwwhere he had planted the largest quan- i after passing tho place, and takj \.jMit were a fresh start from iuMjed to find it. It was about jhn : " , on Monday morning beforei||&j party arrived in Clyde with the prisoueSrJ . exactly a fortnight from the time when he | committed the robbery. Commissioner i Weldon, accompanied by soveralagen ; cth of Clyde, went out to meet the.igriffmer ! and his escort coming in. \ a afterwards weighed and counted in! jtlififcCamp, and was found to Iks all correct, I ,• -.•* the 30 ounces of gold and the two 'flifilPP notos ( one °f which—that sent the Cromwell agency of the Bank r|p|w South Wales—contained £530) 1 Bfpiy eim * e n(Ml " t ' ie Gentle Annie ; HsEh>re is no doubt that Ronnie has an j gcctrtiiplice, an 1 it is reported that he now I ip|g?Con.itaL>h: M'Le:inan to be tho man..,. 1 this m ly be, we understand .that) ho., ; prisoner made another iWfUfemnussioner of Police on Monday,KKfljtt by this time M'Lennan will have |HBsifilaced under arrest. ' : J§Sflnie was brought up before Vincent NiPyke, Esq., P.M., at Clyde, on Monday luoruing, and was remanded till Tuesday, t ,jtho 23rd iust. Great credit is duo to Senior-constable -'"JJSPrfe' Constables Hunt and M'Gann, ■gSMhe energy and tact with which they up the very slight clue at first. We sincerely hope, to see Sub-TnspSpi||*( Dalgleish reinstated, and we feel sure thai [ithis mishap—under the peculiar circumi stances attending it—will have the effect of making one who was always a good officer of police, still more efficient thanJ i f been heretofore. Jig