AN ENTERPRISING CRIMINAL.

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 7, 3 September 1901, Page 4

AN ENTERPRISING CRIMINAL.

When the people of ,Weliiut >n read in the newspapers a short time back that a gaol-breaker—Trudgeon, the horse-thief —had been arrested in a fashionable suburb of Sydney on a charge of house breaking, they little suspected that the enterprising- young gentleman had quite recently sojourned fu- a few days amongst them. But so it wis. How Trudgeon su-reeded in ug out t.f New South Wales, eltding the police cf that colony, and coming over here unannounced to revisit the scenes of former operation, is not known. The fact remains that in January last he arrived in Auckland, put up at one of the leading hotels there, and then, when he had enjoyed tlie sights and hospitality of the Northern city, he came down through the North Island in gradual stages, a; id at last arrived in Wellington.

Trudgeon stayed quite a time in Napier, avid opening an account with a bank at that place, deposited a considerable sum of money. Later on he arrived,at Pa hn erst on North, where he lived for a short time as a gentleman at ease, paying all the calls made upon 3iis purse and arousing no sort of suspicion in regard to his bona fides. To those with whom he conversed he imparted the information that he "was "an author who was about to publish a book, and that he had been retained to write an account of the Royal festivit es in New Zealand for seme of j the leading Australian, newspapers." On arriving at Wellington, Trudgeon put up at a leading hotel, giving his name as " Hamilton." One day he casually walked into Cook's Tourist Agency and announcing himself as " Mr Whittaker," presented three circular notes or coupons for a considerable amount, and asked for an advance upon them. The manager of the branch informed Trudgeon that he had received cabled instructions that Mr Whit■y had been stolen, and :ed that he could not > request. r ery politely, Trudgeon, Lr Whittaker, explained :covered the portmanrce supposed to have > that in the hurry in : had forgotten to apIney office of the fact.

All he wanted now, he said, was a small advance on the coupons, and he assured the manager that he would come back a little later on for the residue. Cook's had " been there before," however, and (Mr Whittaker) Trudgeon's little scheme failed to operate. The police were immediately apprised of the circumstances, but, of course, at that time nobody suspected the identity of Trudgeon. The nokce communicated with New Souta Wales, and found that there was no machinery for having the adventurer a nested, as the real owner of the c.aip ms 3 ad taken his departure f>r England, and therefore there could be no proof of the theft.