Death of a Noted Criminal.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1454, 14 September 1885, Page 4

Death of a Noted Criminal.

[Wellington Paper, September • 3. 1 The news of the death of Henry. Girrett will he. of interest to thoso who lemember the record* of crime m Australia ami New Zealand, r FLo died last night, aged 7% of decay..ofthe system. The career of -.a:" man who -has* spent fifty ChristrnaseW; m gaol was neceiiirily. a strange one; and though a great criminal, there were sume points m Garrett's character which were noc unamiable or altogether bad. It is believed, that he wa«< first driven to evil courses* ;bv domestic tiouble, and that he began by committing petty offence* His first long sentence" was passed m Bhuiingham m the year 1842;' 'when he wan condemned to 10 years' transportation, and sent to Norfolk Island. In 1855 he committed a most darling bank robbery m Ballarat. The.robbeY was done m broad daylight Q-arrett posted a notice on the bank-: «loor that it would be closed for an hour, ' and then entering the building pre.se.nted a revolver at the heads of »h'rt ; official*.. He thus manigcd to take about £6000, and escaped with it to London. He was followed thither by a detective from Australia an! captured. The detective saw him m the street, and, not being sure of his ! man, gave a " cooey." At - thk Gar rett, to whom the sound was familiar, turned round sharply, and the.'..detue* tive, being cei-rain (hat -he was the person sought, took him into custody: On being taken out to Australia he was tried, and received a sentence of 1 0 yeai-s. He was present when Mr Price, at one time Superintendent of the convict establishments m Australia, was murdered by the pmnnois. On the breaking out of the diggings, Garrelt came over to New. inland, and distinguished himself by sucking up and tying to traw sevnnleen men on the road betweeen Dnnedin and Gabriel's Gully. Among the victims was father Moreau, a French priest, whose memory is held m this district. When he had the seventeen tied up and their pockets emptied, like a gentle thief as he was, he made tea for them, and filled and .lighted the pipes of such as smoked, and rode away, ordering them: not to move for two hows. It is stated thai there are men now m Wellington who are [his acquaintance on that occasion, and among them possibly a member of Parliament. He seldom, however, long enjoyed the fruits of his industry, and m May, 1862, he was sentenced to eight years' penal servitude. This sentence he cannot. have served to the end, as« m 1868 he got one year for being found with housebreaking tools m hi s possession, and not; long afterwards* twpnty years for breaking into a shop and " stealing' valuable goods. He was released m 1882 by special permission, and for a short while devoted himself to literature. He contributed several biographies of gentleman m his own way of business m weekly" parts to a society journal m Chri^tcln.rch. The name he wrote under was "Clodhopper," and among the lives were (hose ofSi'as Eli, Frederick Pummer, Robert Butler, and sev<ral other practi(i«ner< of eminence. They are said to have been exceedingly well done, sb-pwino-great knowledge of character, and a curious and accurate acquaintance wit.li facts. He also began a life of himself, which, unfortunately for literature, was interrupted. He was arrested m November, 1882, for being found m a wholesale warehouse with about 40 or 50 ske'eton keys m his possession, and received a sentence of seven year*, from which he wns released by death last night at. 12 o'clock. Garrett sometimes called himself Roiisp, which the Wellington Gaul authorities believe to have been his real name. Through all his career of crime, it is not recorded against him that he once shed human blood, and, like some of the highwayman of old, he never injured or robbed a woman. He was a man who had from his secluded life read muoh, and yet at the same lime he had mixed and conversed with men sprung from «11 positions and of the most curious experiencs. His memory was good, and he had a vast fund of information. Hisiiame was a household word at Pentiidge, where was regarded as a ti'gh legal authority. He haJLstudiVd science as well as. law, and was a warm disciple of Mr Darwin', being fully convinced that his principles were fully provpd. He was not sound m his religious view?, and it is stated he had no belief m God or devil. Shortly before his death, however, there were signs tj^at this was not altogether the c^se While m Ihinedin and other gaols, Gairett was a most turbulent piisoner. At one time he threatened the life of a gaoler, and was kept m solitary confinement for three years. ,In Wellington, howercr, his conduct has been quite different, and for Mr Garvey, the Governor of the Gaol, he would do anything. Mr Garvey says he could have trusted Garrett at anytime to go a message outside the prison with the certainly that lie would return at the appointed hour. He was a capital, industrious workman, and while, he was at Mount-Cook was found exceedingly useful, doing, while m health the work of three 'bidinary ! men. GVrtnin work m connection with the laying of rails for the gaol tramways he did particu'arly well, saving a good deal of money to the deparrrenr. To common thieves lie had a strong- ejection, and would never jisseci:ite, holding them m high cod tempt. Whenever any of those belonging to the humbler branches of his business went to him for advice he sent them away. With all th«» prison officials m Wellington he was perfectly well behaved, and he also showed himself n men able to discipline, there never being a complaint against him. On the 10th of last July, Garrett was taken ill, and Mr Garvey seeing that he required special treatment, recommended his removal from Mount Cook to the Terrace Gaol, where there is a hospital. MrJ. S. M. Thomson, the "ViViting Just'ce, accordingly ordered liia removal, and he has been 'there ever since. The old man has been tmited kindly m his last illness, and as nn instance of this Dr Johnson only yesterday aiternoou sent him a bottle of wine from his own cellar. Ever thin"", also, that could be dono whs done f'.r Inn. by the gaoler* ward. cih jind the other prisoners. In cold A-eather he has always

lieen weak for the last eightmonths, but m fine weather he has always worked. The Yen. Archdeacon Stock has been most kind and attentive 30 Gairett, who w*s grateful and attached to him, though the lat(ei 1 never svould tako par iv conversation on religious subjects. Last lrg-ht (Jarrett was evidently very ill. 'He wa«* m bed, and about 7 o'clock ho turned to the wall*. and moaned :< * My Go I !" Mr Garvey inunediately sent for Archdeacon Stock, who hurried to tho gaol. Through Garrett listened to the Archdeacon with respect, he asked him not to talk of religious matters, as v harassed him. After that he sank -fast, aud closed his strange aue turbulent life just at midnight. ■ „■■ \