USE OF BLACK TRACKERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2707, 13 March 1924, Page 4

USE OF BLACK TRACKERS.

APR ATT) OF ARMED MEN. The experience of the police in the hunt for the Jingellic fugitive has convinced them (says the Melbourne “Age”) thal black trackers are worse than usele-s in cases where the wanted person is believed to he armed or is accounted dangerous. Early in the hunt for Batson, a black tracker was brought to Jingellic and when it was known that the wanted man was likely to ho captured near Drummond’s farm as he had crossed the river at that spot and left his rifle there. Ihe tracker was brought to the spot by sonic of the principal officers. The (racks of naked feet across the road were visible lo the officers, but when flic tracker was asked to locate the wanted man. he said; “Him lay down here, cock his rifle and shoot,” intending to convey that if the fugitive saw him lie would shoot. He insisted that the wanted man had made for the hills and no! for the river, when the tracks pointed in tTie opposite direction. The officers formed flic opinion that if it had been the case of a lost child or woman, where no danger was involved, the tracker would have put the police on the right track at the outset.