THE RUAHINE TRAGEDY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 734, 6 January 1915, Page 5

THE RUAHINE TRAGEDY.

ARREST OP ROTTERMAN.

REMANDED"TO" \ ,

As the result of a well-laid plan, the police yesterday effected the arrest of the ..young German, Arthur Rotterman, who was wanted on a charge of having murdered a farmer named McCarin,, together with his wife and child; at . Ruahine, nine" miles from Mangaweka, 01 or about December 28tb.

Word was received by the police in Wellington on Friday evening that a man answering Rotterman's description had on the previous afternoon put in an appearance it a whare at Karori Rock, near Capa Terawhiti, where men are at work in cbnnecction'with the lightouse. He was at the hut when the occupier left for town on Thursday afternoon, and he slept there the same night. As soon as the information was received, Detective Lewis, Mounted Constable Dunn, and Constable Thompson were despatched on horseback, via Island Biy, to. proceed along the beach to' the locality. At the same time DetectiveSergeant Rawle, Detective Dempsey, and Mounted Constable Pearson were sent to Terawhiti via Makara.

Rotterman was' located at Te Kamara'station. The' onlv man* on the- station was tha-coafc, and-the suspect-had told him the poifce were on his track for deserting his ship. When the police arrived the cook would give no information at first, but on learning that the man wanted Was Rotterman, he at once divulged the secret of the fugitive's hiding place, and the police surrounded the spot and closed in on their man. Th re were only three officers—De-tective-S°rgeant Rawle, Detective Dempsey, aid Constable Pearson. As they came oloss to the spot where they knew the man lobe, they dcBW their revolvers and covered him. Rotterman, who was able to sae what was happening, was "unarmed. He walked towards the police officers .and said: "You can take me; I'm guilty." The prisoner was taken over the bills to Makara, which was reached about 1 p.m. A conveyance brought him the rest of the distance to Lambton station, where he was taken over by .the authorities at a quarter to six. The accused, who is twentv-one years of age, is of an athletic type, and when arrested was wearing a blue suit and white straw hat. In the cells he was in a condition of nervous collapse. Wellington, Monday. Arhtur Rotterman, charged with murder, appeared at Court this morning, and was remanded to appear at Wanganui, on January 12th.