LAYING A TRAP FOR WELLINGTON SMUGGLERS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2263, 4 July 1881, Page 3

LAYING A TRAP FOR WELLINGTON SMUGGLERS.

[Fom Saturday’s “ Post.”] A circumstantial account has been given to us of a daring hoax perpetrated upon the police and Custom House authorities in this city yesterday. The circumstances related to us are as follows :—A few weeks ago a publican living in a West Coast township communicated with a resident in Wellington expressing his willingness to purchase a quantity of smuggled tobacco. Shortly afterwards a policeman living in tho district appeared in town in plain clothes, ostensibly for the purpose of spending a holiday. He soon found out a man formerly in the employ of an auctioneer in this town who, it would seem, was supposed to be willing to supply the tobacco, and struck up a great friendship with him. The policeman appeared to have plenty of money, for it is alleged that he proceeded to act in the most generous way towards his new-found friend, shouting champagne, treating him to “ little dinners,” and in other ways making himself exceedingly agreeable. Finally, it is alleged that be sounded him on the subject of supplying him with the tobacco required by his friend, the country publican, and it is alleged paid him £SO in notes to procure a large quantity for transmission to the West Coast. The Wellingtonian, it is stated, saw through the little plot of “ the young man from tho country,” and determined not only to circumvent him, but also to have revenge for the attempt to lead him into a trap. Accordingly, finding the notes marked, he took the precaution of changing them into gold. He then promised the policeman that the required amount of tobacco should be duly despatched on Friday (yesterday) evening. It was arranged that the party should meet at the railway station, and last evening saw the sni dieant smuggler, an expressman, and the holiday-making policeman —whose countenance was observed to wear a more than usually festive air—all assemble round the express, which contained several packages, wearing the most contraband, not to say piratical appearance. The supposed * dupe” at this point discovered that ho had only eighteenpenoe in his possession, and took occasion to remark that this would be hardly sufficient for a journey of fifty miles or bo. This difficulty wao promptly and cheerfully mot by the policeman, who in the same liberal and open-handed manner that had characterised his proceedings throughout, handed hie companion a pound note for expenses. The expressman and the supposed smuggler then made their way towards Kaiwarra, with the avowed intention of taking the tobacco to the West Coast publican. Arrived at Kaiwarra, the tollgato wss found to bo locked. The driver called out to tho tollkoeper to open the gate, and immediately two detectives and a Custom House officer sprang out of concealment and pounced upon the cart and its contents. Their disappointment and disgust when they discovered that they had been “ sold,” and that the sus-picious-looking boxes contained nothing more contraband thau dried fish and fruit, may be better imagined than described. At first, wo are told, they attempted to detain tho hoaxers, but, on reflection, appeared to doubt whether there was any charge on which they could legally do this. At any rate, tho “ smugglers ” were allowed to go on their way rejoicing, and proceeded to dissipate the pound-note at tho nearest hotel, while the detectives returned in a meditative mood to Wellington. Further inquiries which have been made by us into this extraordinaiy affair tend to show that tho facts, as stated above, are substantially accurate. Tho £SO, it appeared, was paid to the Wellington man on the latter stating that ho would not go on with the affair unless he had that amount on account to show tho bona Jides of the policeman. Tho arch-conspirator, we are informed, took legal opinion as to his position this morning, and was informed that tho £SO could not be recovered from him, and that be was perfectly safe so for as the consequences of any prosecution was concerned.

ENGLISH SPORTING ITEMS. Bend Or is the port of animal capable of trying a Two Thousand Guinens competitor, considering the other day ho presented Petronel, last year’s winner, with 21ib and a decided beating. The Prince of Wales was present at Epsom on Wednesday, and had his bet on Bend Or. The prince backed him for the Derby, and was a great believer in the horse’s capabilities. The recent successes of heavy weights for the popular mile and a quarter Epsom Handicap is something extraordinary—Thunder, 9st 41b; Parole, Bst 71b; Master Kildare, 9st 2!b ; and now Bend Or, 9st; and on every occasion “Master Frederick Archer ” was the performing prince of the pigskin. The Derby winners, Hermit, Doncaster, Oremorne and Kingcraft, had representatives in the Two Thousand Guineas, whilst to the Lager winner of 1869 belongs the honor of the paternity of the hero of the hour. Peregrine. Though previously Peregrine hod never sported silk, strange to say, lie has three times been under the hammer. Originally, as a foal, he was purchased by hir Taylor Sharpe for 175 gs, from whoai Robert Peck bought him for 450ge, and last setamn ho was re bought for 700 gs. Possibly now 7000 gs would not purchase him. Such is the lottery of horseflesh and racing. Madame Eglantine, the quondam bearer of the farfamed cherry jacket and black cap of the Loybourne Baronet, Sir Joseph Hawley, and the dam, moreover, of that sterling racehorse Rosicruoian, has given in her old age birth to a filly by Blue Gown, whilst Touoh-mo-Not, the dam of Sir George Ohetwynd's chestnut flyer Tangible, has foaled a filly to Oraig Millar, of Doncaster renown. At the Newmarket Craven Meeting, Lord Boseberry’s Goshawk, by Wild Moor out of the Middle Park mare Aglaia, won a match with Mr Leopold De Rothschild’s Fetterless. At the same meeting Lord Falmouth’s three-year-old colt Henry 11., by Henry out af Atlantis, one of the mares en route for the Auckland Company, won the Bedmington Stakes. At the Ourragh meeting Mr W. W. Louisson’s four-year-old colt Beauchamp 11., by Victorious out of Berger®, another of the Auckland mares, won H.M. Plate, two miles, and also ran second to Greenfield, a son of Stockinger out of Lady Lynbury, in another Plate of three miles. At the same meeting Mr J. McGrath’s four-year-old filly, Sally Brass, by Musket from Little Nell, won the Maiden Handicap, one mile and a quarter, and also a Handicap Hurdle Baoe of one mile and a half.