THE LATE COLD ROBBERY AT CLYDE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 436, 26 August 1870, Page 3

THE LATE COLD ROBBERY AT CLYDE.

On Tuesday last, in the Resident MazisIrate’s Court, before Vincent Pyke, Esq., R.M., Malcolm M’Lennan was charged ■with having, on the morning of Monday, the Ist of Auzust inst, between the hours of half past 12 and 4, feloniously stolen one hag containing two hundred ounces of gold, and one bundle of notes amounting to £1,070, from the Clyde Camp. James Hazlctt, Esq., Mayor, and J. D, Feraud, Esq., J.P., occupied seats on the Bench. Sub-Inspector Percy made application to have the Court clear© ’, which was granted. William Arthur, sworn, deposed : Am a Government Surveyor, stationed at Clyde. The plan produced of the Clyde Police accurately shows the position of the , watch-house. Gaol, barracks, aud other buildings, and also the sod fence around the camp and the wire fence enclosing Mr. Card’s garden. It also shows marks on the sod wall made hy gold boxes. By the prisoner : Was not aware that Mr, Percy had made marks on the wall with ,'gold-hnxes a tew days after the robbery. By the Bench : Constable Smith pointed 'Out the marks. George Rennie, sworn, deposed that he was a shoemaker, recently carrying on business at the Arrow. Know the prisoner, Malcolm M‘Lennan. Was a shipmate with him in the ship G. P. Bouverie from Scotland in 1809. Had been on terms of friendshin with him at home, as well as on the voyage. Soon after arriving in Dunedin I got employment at my trade, and was subsequently appointed Wardsman to the Wakatip Hospital. The prisoner joined the police force, and before leaving for Queenstown I saw him in his uniform. The ■next time I saw him he was at the Arrow, some three or four months ago, when he visited me. I have received several letters from the prisoner, in one of which he announced his intention of visiting me. In ■his first letter he said, “If,you come tn Clyde some dark night I will give you as much gold as you can carry.” In a subsequent letter ho says, “ As it is kept in an ■out-house, and can easily be got at ” The prisoner came up to the Arrow one Fridav, after dark, and stayed with me until midnight, and then went to an hotel. After ■conversing for some time, he asked me if I had thought over what he had written in .his letters to me. I told him I did not exactly understand what he meant. He dbhen informed me that the Escort was in the habit of coming down once a month, -hut that the Escort left Clyde once a fortnight, and that when the gold came down from Queenstown the escort was the largest During this visit we had a great deal of conversation as to how the gold could he taken from Clyde. The prisoner sain he ■had ma le a key for the outer door, and had intended to take the gold himself, hut thought it too mucli for one to do. Prisoner said that a screw-driver would be necessary to remove the screws of the plate of the ■inner door of the building in which the •gold was kept. On the Saturday night the prisoner slept at my house, and on Sunday morning 1 volunteered to accompany him part of the way to Clyde. While riding along the prisoner proposed that 1 should go the whole way, in order that I might .make myself acquainted with the placo where the gold was kept previous to coming down to take it. We came along together, drinking freely on the road. When we we reached Elliott’s Half-way Hotel, between Cromwell and Clyde, I was drunk, aul my companion saw -me to bed. On •awaking in the morning 1 saw a note lying on the table, and missed my money. Not 'being able to read, I came down to Clyde 1 went straight to the Camp, and saw the., prisoner, who told me I had my money! ■•tied up in a handkerchief round my knee. While at the Camp prisoner showed me the ■place where the treasure was kept, and ■then told mo to get away quickly, before I was known, and I then made my .way Lack to the Arro -v. Sometime after this •he called upon me at the Arrow, saying he was going to Queenstown to -relieve Sergeant ~Fox, during the latter’s absence. During the time he was with me we had some con--versation respecting the robbery Prisoner said he had removed the screws from the plate which secured the fastening of the inner door of the treasure room, and after cutting off the greater portion had replaced the heals. He showed me some of the, ends of the screws he had cut off, and said the job of removing the plate would he more easily done when I came to take the gold. Ho also showed me one of the screws belonging to the gold boxes, .-o that I might ’know what kind of instrument ■was needed to open them. He said he had a screw-wrench for tlie purpose, which he would give to mo. He said he had in. formed Gantley, the lock-up keeper, that he ha-’ a mining share at the Arrow, which he assigned as a reason for his visits to that locality. I next saw the prisoner on his return from Queenstown to Clyde. He stayed one night with me. We had a great of conversation about taking the g- Id. He said the Escort would be down in a week or a fortnight, aud that I must have everything ready, but was not to come until I heard from him. Having received a letter, I left the Arrow for the purpose of stealing the gold. This was about a month before the robbery took p'aco. When just entering the town of Clyde, about 10 p.m. on Sunday, I met the prisoner, who told m,e that the robbery could not he done that night, as he had to go on duty, and that I must go back to the Arrow as quickly as possible, but that it would be all right next time. He then gave mo the key of the outer door ami also the screw-wrench. I planted the wrench, hut took the key with me. Subsequently I received a letter from Rio prisoner, to the effect that I was to he

iii readiness on Sunday, the Slat of July. That letter I answered, tollin'' him to have ready a feed for my horse and refreshment for myself. About 10 p.m. I arrived near Clyde, when I met the prisoner. He had with him some oats for my horse and a bottle of porter for myself. Ho told me it was all right, hut could not stop, as he had to pet back to tbo camp. After having drank the porter, I found the screw-wrench, which I put into my hag, together with th" screw-drive’ - , the key of the outer door, a pair of shoemaker’s nippers, and a ’’ark lanthorn. and proceeded hy the bach of the township tn the damn. 1 there tie’ my horse tn Card’s Garden fence. I ihen went to the Camp wa’l, and waited till 7 saw two persons leave the nearest, huildincr, which I assumed to he the office, as I noticed hy the shadow on the window that one of them was writing. Upon leaving, one went straight to the Sergeant's house, the other turned to the left. Shorßv after prisoner came to me. and said, “ Where are vnn "oing to nut. it ?” He thought the burying ground would he the safest, and that it was hotter to hnrv it than hide it among the rocks. lie left me saving he would get. mo a sna ’e, and shortly after returned with one, coming from the direction of Card’s garden. He then told me to go to the nlaee where the gold was. and said I was to take plenty of time there was no danger, that he would keep watch, and would warn me 7>y tapping at the window. The prisoner then went in the direction of the barrack room an d I to the treasure-house, the outside door of which I opened with the kev given tn me hy the prisoner I went, inside an -1 shut the door after roe. I then commenced to unscrew the holt plate, and while doing so heard a noise as of children crying, followed quickly by footsteps coming from the direction of the barrack room, and a tap on the window. I remained quiet for a short time, when I resumed the withdrawing of the screws. Three of the these I took out easily, but coul 1 not get ont the fourth altogether, so had to wrench the plate to get it clear of the holt. The door being free I entered the room, and saw boxes of gold upon the door, two of which I took, and placed them in the passage, and shut the door of the room. I then opened the outer door, placed the boxes outside, anS; locked the door. Prisoner, at this time, was stan ing nqtside the barrack building. I went and told him that one of the screws would not draw'. He asked if I had got the gol I. Prisoner said, “ It will not do for me to see the gold, as every one in the Camp w - ill he searched and sworn tomorrow.” I then went to the boxes. I carried them one hy one to the sod fence, over which I placed them. I then carried them to a water-hole, close to where I had tied my horse. I intended buckling them together, and slinging them across my horse, but found I could not do so, I unscrewed the boxes with the nippers, took out the parcels, and put them into a hag I had provided for the purpose. I threw the boxes into the water-hole, together with the lanthorn aiffi the screw's from the boxes. During all this time I had been without my hoots, which I now put on, and led aw'.ay my horse (avoiding the towm) towards Cromwell. 1 proceeded as far as the Dnnstan Dairy, on the Clyde side of which I planted four or five hags of gold. I then went on, still leading my horse, to w'here I made a second plant, consisting of all the remaining treasure, excepting one hag of gold and several parcels of the notes, the distance between the two places being about a mile. At the second plant I deposited the treasure in two separate places, not far apart. It was there I threw away the screw-wrench, the key of the outer door, and the screws of the inner door. 1 threw them into the river. The spade and feedhag I also threw away, but d 0 not think they went into the river. I then mounted my horse and proceeded on my way to the Arrow, having only some parcels of notes and one hag of gold. Just before reaching the Gentle Annie Store I fancied something fell out of my hag, but failed to find anything. I then proceeded on my way, and reached within ten miles of the Arrow, where, in consequence of my horse being unable to travel, I was compelled to stop. Here I emptied the contents of the hag of gold into another hag, and planted it under a large stone, just off the track, and put the notes (I think two parcels) under a stone c’ose hy. I then liad only one parcel of notes. I planted the empty bag under a flat stone. About fifty yards further on I burned some of the clothes I had been wearing, part of the bridle, and a false heard which I had worn as a disguise, and proceeded homewards on foot. On Sunday, the 14th of August, accompanied by Constables Smith and Hunt, I wont to the Gentle Annie track, and pointed out where I had planted the gold and notes. I saw them find a parcel of notes and a bag of gold. Constable Smith found the hag from which I took the gold. We then proceeded towards Clyde, and on the same day I showed Constable Smith and others the places where I had planted the gold and notes between Clyde and Cromwell, I made the lanthorn which has been produced while at the Arrow. John William Mitchell Purday, sworn : —I am Clerk in the Bank of New Zealand at Alexandra. Remember Saturday, the 30th of July. On that day it was part of my duty to prepare the gold and bank notes for transmission by Escort to Dunedin. I made up two parcels of gold and two of notes. The parcel of notes produced I recognise as one I made up in the evening of that day I know it by the sea), and also by the paper label, which is addressed in my handwriting. It did contain £1,070 in mixed notes of various hanks, and does not appear tn have been tampered with, though the wrapper has been chafed through. The bag produce! is similar to one I packed up on that day, and which contained two hundred ounces of gold. The address is in the han [writing of Henry Conway Jones, agent for the Bank, and the

seal is the one of the Alexandra branch of the Bank of New Zealand. When I had packed up the gold I placed it in the safe, the key of which I keep. On Sunday morning, the 31st of July, I handed over to Mr. Jones the gold and notes I had packed up I gave him the parcel of notes produced, a hag containing two hun !red ounces of gold, together with other gold and notes for transmission by escort. It being past seven o’clock, and there being ten other witnesses to be examined, an adjournment was neccessary. The Resident Magistrate said that as he hail imperative duties to perform elsewhere on the two following Jays, he would ad-i journ the proceedings until Friday (this day), at nine o’clock a m.