The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1910.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 April 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1910.

XHWSI'APHHK AM) PANICS. AFFArits in conncrlion with the hunt after the escaped prisoner, Powolka. are beroming graver and graver. Without desiring to sit in judgment on anyone. We feel impelled to say that the action of one particular newspaper in "senre-head-ing'' and elaborating the "news" of happenings and rumours, has done a good deal to work up the feelings of Manawn>tu settlers to a pitch of dangerous apprehensiveness. Beyond a doubt, there is a mental atmosphere spread over the Mannwatu district that is conducive to anything but a peaceful termination of the man hunt, and it is .small cause for wonder itliat the escaped custodee has been driven to the expedient of "protecting his character" by means of "notes of disclaimer" dropped into the milk billies of local residents. This newspaper, while agreeing with the widely held impression that Powelka is a man of criminal tendencies who would be safer behind stone walls than outside of them, deprecates strongly the spirit of fear and funk that has been engendered by a newspaper which seems to place more value upon notoriety, and slmddersome interest, than upon the rtal merit of giving helpful guidance and advice to the local community at a time when it needs good guidanco most. The foolhardy expedient of sending out armed civilians on a man hunt cannot be condemned too strongly. For the present, we attach no great amount of credence to the rumour that Sergt. McGuire was shot by a fellow searcher—not by Powelka; but we do ask the people of the Manawatu County, and the general executive, to consider tlie tragic event (chronicled to-day) which ended in the death of another searcher, who was shot under the misapprehension that he was really Powelka. Arms in the hands of \velltrained men are still lethal weapons,

but the risk is greatly lessened-, for « well-trained man is lotli to use them, except in dire straits. When nn undisciplined mob of searchers is let loose, however, to scour the country in sorti'ch of nn escapee who is reputed to go armed and to be desperate, the risk of fatal consequences to the whole of the people concerned is intensified. The searchers should go .armed with sticks rather than with revolvers, rifles, or guns; then there would be. more chance of a capture and smaller risk of fatal results from amy encounter. The arrest of the murderer Ellis, without the firing of .a shot, and the instances of a dozen other notorious villains of recent times, who were arrested without bloodshed, all afford exemplification that strategy is better than force for the circumvention of dangerous criminals. Contemplation of Ihe fact that a wide district is now perambulated- by armed men in a state of high nervous tension is sufficient to make the cool-headed amongst the populace apprehensive for the well-being of the whole community.