THE SCHOONER STANLEY.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 375, 9 June 1868, Page 2

THE SCHOONER STANLEY.

It will be in the recollection of our readers that during the month of Marph, last year, considerable excitement was manifested when it was made known that Mr D. Kirkwood, of Onehunga, had absconded from Hokitika, in the schooner Stanley, and duped his creditors to the extent of about £20,000. A meeting was immediately held and attended by the most influential merchants, of Auckr land and Onehunga. At that meeting, Captain Davis, formerly of the schooner Stanley, made an affidavit that he had shipped to go down with Kirkwood to Hokitika, and on his arrival there Kirkwood had requested Jiini to ship further on, out of the colony altogether. This the captain refused to Ho, as did the crew. Kirkwood thereafter cleared the ship (Stanley) for Guam, and immediate ly before he sailed he gave Captain Davis a cheque on the bank for upwards of £3000, which Davis took the bank, and for which he received the amount in sovereigns. He carried the sovereigns to Kirkwood, who immediately afterwards sailed away. Davis saw the vessel sail, and was aware that Kirkwood was on board. An application was then made for a warrant tv apprehend Kirkwood as an absconding debtor, which was immediately granted by the. Resident Magistrate, and was forwarded to the British Consuls stationed in various places. A deed was also signed by each creditor, agreeing to pay a sum not exceeding 2£ per cent, on the arm.unt of the expenses of his capture, and his b«ing brought back to Aupk land. Photographs of Kirkwood were also obtained and sent to all km wa ports, ( ffering a reward of £50 for his apprehension. One of the creditors also undertook to proceed to Melbourne and Sydney, thinking he might call there before proceeding on a long voyage. Nothing, however was heard of the delinquent, or the vessel, until very recently, when Mr C. Davis, the mortgagee of the vessel, received an intimation that he was trading between some of the ports in Japan. That gentleman immediately sent instructions, with full power to seize the vessel, to Melbourne, San Francisco, and Japan, and it will be some satisfaction to those creditors who interested themselves on his disa^r pearance, to lejirn that the vessel has been seized at a place called Hiago, a new colony recently established near Yokohama, in Japan. The Stanley arrived at Hiago during the month of March last, in command of Captain Clarke, the same person who shipped in her when she left Hokitika, and was seized by Mr E. Von der Heyde, a brother to Mr VonderHeyde, pf the firm of Henderson and Macfarlane. When the vessel was taken possession of, Mr David Kirkwood was on board, but as no instructions had been received there to arrest him, nothing could be done in the matter. The Stanley is now in possession of the mortgagee, Mr 0. Davis, and it is probable she may soon return to her native waters with a cargo of eastern produce. — $i.Z. Herald, June 2.