A DOUBLE LIFE.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 January 1922, Page 4

A DOUBLE LIFE.

AN AMAZING STORY. WELLINGTON, Dec 31. The arrest at Christchurch of Charles Campbell Dawkins, and his admission of having committed several burglaries in Wellington, has caused quite a sensation in this city, where he was well and favourably known. Various acquaintances of Dawkins gave most -favourable reports of him. As an undergraduate of Victoria College he was universally liked by his fellow students, and his fondness for swimming as a sport considerably enlarged his circle of friends. Dawkins, was one of the founders of the Victoria College Swimming dub, and represented that bodj' as a, delegate to the Wellington Swimming Centre. He is also ai member of the committee of the Lyall Bay Surf Club for the past twelve months. I Last season he competed, though unsue- I cessfully, in several swimming races at I the To Aro baths. He proved nim- I self an able and insistent debater at the I meetings of the Swimming I Centre. The centre recently gave I Dawkins authority to canvass for all I the advertisements for publication in j the programme of the New Zealand j championship sports, to he held at Wei- I lingon within a few weeks’ time. I His fellow-students describe him ns I a well-informed, fluent speaker, of most I abstemious' habits, and scrupulous prin-1 eiples." He is of medium height, well- I guilt, of good appearance; he never I wore a, hat. Dawkins hoarded on Wei- I ling ton terrace. j EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT.

It would seem, according to the statements of some of his friends that he would come from a club meeting, and it was after parting with them about JO o’clock in the evening that he would start out on his house-breaking exploits. The suggestion has been made that his sudden outbreak of criminal tendencies is due to some mental aberration. The assumption that his attack on Dr McEvedy, was the action of a, dangerous criminal is scouted by his acquaintances. They view his action on Hint occasion as riiore like the behaviour of a rat that had been trapped, and lie was anxious to escape at all costs. Dawkin’s double life, however, presents an extraordinary problem, and so completely antithetic are the two sides of his character that those whoi j know him ultimately cannot reconcile themselves to any other theory’ than that he is suffering from shell shock (he served in the Great War), or is a victim to some mental trouble not at pre- I sent understood gy mental pathologists. I

In due course Dawkins will he brought from Christchurch to Wellington toj be charged with the offences alleged to have been committed in this city.