Another Exciting Chase.

Hastings Standard, Issue 426, 15 September 1897, Page 3

Another Exciting Chase.

MORE HONORS FOR THE DETECTIVES. :1 >V TLLIiGKAi'H.I (Per Press Association.) Auckland, Sept. 1-1. A young man named M'Lellan alias Whyte was captured by Detective Madden and Constable Stanyer. Whyte is alleged to be the burglar who broke into Smith and Caughey's premises on the 26th of last month and succeeded in making his escape when surprised at his work. He is a young man of about 21 years, of slight build and medium height, and when brought- into town to-day was wearing a short beard. The circumstances of the arrest are of a sensational nature. Last Friday morning from information received, Detective Madden left by train for the King Country, where he was joined by Constables Stanyer, of Otorohanga, and Carroll, of Killikihi. They rode to To Kuiti and thence to Awakino, uncertain whether the man had gone south to Wanga.nui or towards the coast. Madden decided to send Constables Jones and Carroll down the line on a jigger, while he and Stanyer proceeded southwards to Poro-o-tarao tunnel, reaching there on Sunday afternoon. V little south of the tunnel the pursuing party found that a place had been broken into and £1 16s lid stolen. Hearing this, the party took fresh horses and went full speed down Ongaruhe Valley to Kawakawa on the road to Upper Wanganui. About a quarter of a mile from Kawakawa the party left their horses, stole into the settlement, and searched through the huts and stores but without finding the man they were after. At four next morning thov got on his trail finding his footprints on the road leading to Tnuniannnui. One of the man's boots had half the sole cut out and this peculiarity enabled the pursuers to recognise the trail. It could be seen that Whyte was heading for the Wanganui river. For 20 miles they traced the footprints until Te Kuri, a Maori settlement, was reached where two fresh horses were lent to Madden and Stanyer by the Maoris. They then went down towards Ongaruhe river accompanied by a young fellow named Meredith to show them the road. About a mile from the river Stanyer noticed a faint column of smoke rising up. He pointed it out to the others, and they at once beaded for it, and soon found that it was on the near bank of the river. Near the bank the three pursuers tied up their horses and crept down to the water, where Detective Madden saw a piece of canvas, evidently doing duty as a tent, half bidden by scrub. " That's where he is " said Madden. The detective divided his forces, posting Stanyer on the left, and Meredith in the rear of the tent, while he himself went down to the edge of the bank. Just as he ncared the tent the man inside caught sight of him and charged headlong for the river, with the detective after him. The tent was about three chains from the bank, and the detective got within a yard of bis man, but the fellow reached the water, dived in, and struck out for the opposite bank. The detective plunged iu after him, calling to the other two to get their horses and ford the river, so as to cut the man off, while he himself headed the fellow into deep water. In mid-stream the man got stuck in a pit of soft mud and sank till only his hands and the tip of his nose remained out of water. He was helpless, and the horsemen plunging in dragged him out by the collar on to the bank more dead than alive. The water was running at a tremendous rate, and the fugitive had a narrow escape from drowning. His captives walked him back to Te Kuri, three miles off, and there got a fresh horse and brought him up to Te Kuiti, thence by train to Auckland.

Whyte is well known to Detective Madden, who knew him in the south. Accused is charged with stealing goods valued at £•"> 10s from Smith and Caughey's ou the night of the 20th ult.