KIRBY'S ARREST IN SYDNEY.

Hastings Standard, Issue 34, 5 June 1896, Page 3

KIRBY'S ARREST IN SYDNEY.

lIIS NEPHEW ALSO IN CHARGE OF THE POLICE. KIEIiY'S PREVIOUS HISTORY. A fcTowY OF THE CRIME ON WHICH lIE WAS TO BE TRIED. Special to Sxaxdaiid. ' /<// 1 < h < hrd ('i>iTr*ji<>iiih nt./ Wki.lixgton, this (lay.

William George Bassett, a nephew of Kirby's, has been arrested in Sydney for helping in the escape. It is alleged that the packing case in which Kirby was carried on board the Talune was taken in an express from I iassett's house. ■Tust before the Tahtne left the wharf J»assett was seen standing near the gangway, hut as he disappeared soon after it was thought he had returned to the wharf. He, however, v.ent to Sydney by the steamer. Kirby was in the Welsh force prior to his arrival in the colony. He was engaged for some time as a pointsman at the entrance of the Lyttelton tunnel, and was afterwards engaged on detective work by the Railway Department. After this lie went into business as a coal merchant, and was unsuccessful. He rejoined the police force in October, 1879, and was stationed at limuru.

T..<; (. lii-i.-tch«reh correspondent of the New Zealand Times furnishes what is alleged to he a true history of the Herman-Kirby case. lie wires as follows :—" What is claimed to be a true history of the case was given to your correspondent to-night by a person in ;i position to know. When Kirby first accused Herman of the oflence at Timaru the latter said : ' Can't it he settled somehow ? ' Kirby replied that he would have to enquire, Sometime afterwards Kirby returned and said : • It could be squared for i; 100, and he (Herman) would have to clear.' The money was procured and paid to Kirby. Herman, however, did not leave Timaru, and some weeks after Kirby called on him again and said the people concerned demanded more money, and must have it. This visit resulted in the extortion of £"500 more, paid to Kirby. A day or so after Herman left by the north-bound train. Kirby was waiting at the station to see him oil", and when Herman arrived, Kivby remarked to him that he had 1 iet n to a lot of trouble, and had run risks in squaring the matter, and thought he was entitled to some emolument. Herman replied that it was too late, he had no money worth while on him ; he should have asked before. Kirby replied, ' You have a watch ; I have none. Could you not give me that watch ?' Herman took oft' the watch—a valuable gold one—and gave it to the detective. Herman then left the country, but the matter having gradually leaked out an inquiry was held. In the absence, however, of Herman, the chief witness, the proceedings fell through. Herman subsequently returned to the colony, and having got rid of his shekels, he called on Kirby, and asked for a refund of at least some of the money. Kirby denied all knowledge of the transaction, and further efforts failing to recover any of the money the matter was placed in the hands of a solicitor in this city by Herman. The result of this was "that Kirby agreed to pay Herman a lump sum down and monthly payments, which, it is understood, were to come from the rents of cottages owned by Kirby ir this city and other places. This arrangement was being carried out when the transaction having reached tUj cars of the Government an investigation was made, resulting in the issue of a warrant for Kirby's arrest The proceedings since then are well known. The popular opinion has been that Herman instituted the proceedings; but this I understand is not so. The attention of the Government was brought to it by another party, who discovered that Herman had returned to New Zealand.

Kirby was brought before the Court at Sydney yesterday, and remanded for a week to allow of production of necessary papers. An officer will be sent from Wellington to bring the prisoner back.

Kirby states that he left Xew Zcalond with the full intention of committing suicide on the voyage, but that he was prevented by some one on board from carrying out the threat.