THE M’INTYRE CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2179, 7 September 1907, Page 3

THE M’INTYRE CASE.

ACCUSER COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. Pross Association. CHRISTCHURCH, September 6. Duncan Cunningham Mclntyre, Into director of exhibits at -tlie Now Zealand International Exhibition, appeared at tho Magistrate’s Court this morning on a number of'charges, viz., theft of £2l 6s on October Ist 1906, theft of £35 on December 3rd 1006, theft of £l2 on October 2.tli 1906, thoft of £19.105. In regard to these charges it'was alleged - that the moneys were tho property oE His Majesty. Two other charges wore also laid, viz., that on 9th the accused obtained From Frafik A. Cook the sum o £5 and from Aitken and Roberts the sum of £7 by means of valueless cheques. The accused' pleaded guilt} and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence on all four charges to which he had pleaded guilty. 'Rail was allowed on the sumo conditions as those formerly imposed, ra., accused’s own recognisance oi £IOO and a suiety of £IOO.

STATEMENT BY ACCUSED.

SUFFERINGS IN A SOUTH AMERICAN PRISON. A NARRATIVE OE DESOLATION AND piRT. CHRISTCHURCH, September 6. Tho statement made by D. C. McIntyre to Chief-Detective Mcllvouey on board the Turakina was produced by t-lie chief dotective in his evidence at tho Magistrate’s Court this morning, but was not read. The statement is contained in 10 pages of foolscap and has attached to it several documents to which reference is made in Mclntyre’s confession. Tho statement makes certain admissions concerning tho charges for which Mclntyre had been committed for sentence and recounts some of his dealings with money-lenders, which "for obvious reasons wo cannot take tlio risk of publishing. Tho following is an extract regarding Mclntyre’s experiences pending extradition: — “On arrival at Monte Video on the Ist of May I was placed under arrest by tho British Consul and handed over to tho Uruguayan police. I was detained in the Careel Central de Policia (the Central Police Station at Monte Video). I beg to point out tho great suffering I experienced whilo there owing to tho exceedingly unsatisfactory arrangements for the detention of British subjects. - Al-

though the Consul did his utmost for mo, still tho prison regulations did not permit of outside interference and consequently my enforced detention was almost beyond • endurance and heart-breaking in tho very extreme. During the day I was confined in a stone-paved yard about 30ft square and with thejuvenile prisoners. The said yard was surrounded by walls about 30ft high, consequently there was never a glimpse of sun, and at that time of the year it was dreadfully cold. Invariably the yard was wet and in a disgusting state _ from the almost constant expectoration of tho attendants and prisoners, who wero continually sucking herbs, etc., a custom of tho Spanish in this place. I had to remain 12 hours daily among people who did not speak a word of English. At night I had to sleep in a room ten feet square. This room was known as the warders’ room. At night it was occupied as sleeping quarters by at least two others and all prisoners arrested during-the ni?lit. There were always several. They were brought into this room to be searched. They wore usually in a filthy condition and always very troublesome. The room was simply riddled with ratholes and was almost alive with rats and- vermin. The place was damp, mildewed and unfit to be used by any man. Immediately outside was the men’s closet and immediately overhead .was the female’s closet. The sanitation was bad and- the drainage was very ' defective, consequently I ■need not describe the result. The suffering occasioned was very great indeed. To get to the men’s closet I had-to pass through the place where the prisoners, many of them criminals of the worst,type, were confined. On each occasion I was subjected to jeers and taunts and other insults owing to my being to.them a foreigner. While the suffering due to the above was great it was as nothing when compared with the dreadful loneliness and desolation, practically amounting to solitary confinement. I was compelled to washlflj'self in the trough in which many spittoons and other filthy utensils used in the officials buildings were washed. No soap or towal was provided me and being unable to speak Spanish, and there being no Englishmen there, the mental strain was increased almost to breaking point. This I endured for 17 days, during which I had no bed or bedding. I had to lie on the bare boards without covering of any sort and no food was given me excepting what I was able to get by bribing the attendants. I only had £3 12s on my arrival at the Monte Video prison and that amount was used during the first 12 days. The remaining 5 days I subsisted on •the charity of officials. After making several requests I was promised at last to communicate with the British Minister. As a result I was provided with a stretcher and blanket, and arrangements were made to send my meals at the expense of the New Zealand Government. Still I remained in the same rooih until your (Detective Alcllvcncy’s) arrival on June Ist, whereupon I was provided with the share of another room on the opposite side of -the-yard. In this I remained until I was handed over to your chargo on Juno I was just on 7 weeks'in Monte Video. To add to my sufferings my box of clothes went astray* On the day of my detention 1 it id. handed it to the authorities. V hen I next heard of it seventeen day's' afterwards _ I heard that a quantity of my clothing, principally what I was most in need of, had been stolen. I estimate the loss at about £l3. In consequence of my loss I was seriously inconvenienced. Indeed for 17 day's I never had my clothes off. My belongings have not I,ecu recovered and I have handed to tlio Consul a- claim for their value but have not received,„a reply from him. ■So bad wero the sufferings and treatmerit extended to me that the British Minister lias made a representation

on tlij matter to the Imperial auci rife and t'ho Consul informed me that he had also requested tho Imperial authorities to communicate tho contents of his letter to the New Zealand Government. When leaving Uruguay tho Chief Officer of Police handed mo a voluntary certificate as to my conduct while detained there, and its translation I have handed to you, and 1 ask you to bo good enough to produce it when at Court. Since June 12th I have been in your personal custody and I feel satisfied that my conduct has given you no cause for ■dissatisfaction or complaint.. I have now been several months in custody a ,ul I trust that fact, with the miseries it has brought, will be taken into consideration. I .most deeply regret tho serious position in which 1 am placed I have never denied my wrong-doing. I agreed to my extradition, and I can only ask tor the clemency of the Court before which I am brought. My position is not owin<4 to vico of any kind. 1 have- not been a gambler, a drinker or a dissipator. I have always been a hard worker and while at the Inhibition 1 invariably worked 12 hours per day, an 1 when that was not enough > cope with the demands I worked even aij night and on Sundays. I think I can say with confidence that my general reputation is good. I am now in my Il,t year. I am penniless, in trouble si;ui adverse circumstances, and the tyranny of usurers accounts for my liosition. I am determined to do my utmost in the future to restore my <r o od name. these are the hist charges ever brought against me and I trust to -be able to show by mv future conduct that they will be the last. Tho facts I liavo above-stated arc absolutely true. You had the advantage of seeing for yourself .how- I was imprisoned at Monto \ ideo and 1 think you at least know that I have told the simple truth. I am confident that you will corroborate what I have written iii connection with my prison suffering, Thanking you m anticipa-

tion, I am. Sir, your obedient servant, D. 0. Mclntyre.” . Tho exhibits atttached to this statement wero a stamped rocoipt signed bv F C. Raphael for the sum of £lB7 10s in full . settlement of nil money owing to him by Mr. and Mis. Mclntyre; a blank cheque oil the Bank of Now South Wales endorsed “This is the cheque Mr. Race linmUd mo at tho presentation to represent the cheque 1 'was to receive later tor one hundred guineas, D. C. Mclntyre”; a newspaper report of tlio presentation made to Mr. and Mrs. D C. Mclntyre at tho Exhibition on November 30th, 1906; translation of certificate of Alcaldia Jetatura p De La Capital: “By the present document f certify that tlio English citizen Mr. Daniel Cunningham Mclntyre during his residence in tho police central house from the 2nd day of last May, 1907, until to-day (June Bth) has observed a good and correct conduct and in request of mtorostod parties I give it.”