CAPTURE OF PLUMMER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3283, 14 August 1872, Page 2

CAPTURE OF PLUMMER.

Frederick Plmimier, one of the Auckland gang, and who escaped from custody on Thursday lnst, was captured last night by that vigilant officer, Detective Farrell. Policemen aid warders had been scouring the country, and finding no trace of - Piummer, came to the conclusion Mat lie had cither been drowned or had. committed suicide, or was in tho city. The view that ho. was in, town was confirmed by the fact that in a robbery of a till, committed on Friday night, at M'Dongall'B ■ store, the thief left behind a piece <f cloth he had round his boots to duaden the sound, and which was identified as being a part of ths coat stolen from.the cricket pavilion. Several daring till roblnsries, committed —one on Friday night and the others nn Monday night—were attributed to Piummer by some as a matter of course, and by others to his frienda, who it was thought did them as a "blind" to deceive the Police ; but sufficient was seen, after Plummer's arrest last night, to show that he was the perpetrator. With regard to the arrest—Detective Farreil, on proceeding clown George street last night at about 9.30, in company with Constable Bain (the Town Belt Ranger), noticed a respectably-dressed, low-sized, clean-shaved man standing on the kerbstone near the Royal George Stables, and who was attentively watching the movements of the people in the bar of the Sussex Hotel, on tho other side of tho street. They walked on a little in advanWdfTnm: Farrell remarked Piummer," and Bain replied "No, but he is 'good' for the till robberies." On seeing himself observed he crossed the road, m the direction of MoreU'a bakery. Farrell walked across sifter him, and be* fore he noticed that he was being followed, seized him by the back of the coat and the right wrist, and looking towards, the Rainbow, »aid, " I want you to com© into this hotel here to have a look at you.'' Piummer, for so he proved to be, answered, " I won't go in here, I will go to the next house;" but Detective Farrell said, "No; you must come in here." He was taken into the Rainbow Hotel, resisting and holding on by the jamb of the door ; but tho affair was .managed so. promptly and quietly that no crowd col-.; ' lected. Inside of the hotel, Detective ; Farrell still retained his hold of him by the right wrist and the back of the coat, while Constable Bain searched him. He denied he was Piummer, but Farrell, on seeing his coat, vest, and shirt unbuttoned, know tho under-flannel to be, by Up make, a prisoner's one. A, number of articles enumerated below were taken from him on his being searched. Piummer maintained he wao a respectable citizen, and said his name was F. G M Hajtnn, In v»r>of of his flkteinenfc >he «tppe&fad\ Yiot t<> I the citizens'' mil, but to the fact that he had a receipt for rent upon him; and suro enough, among the varied assortment stowed away about him, the following document, written in a blurred and almost illegible scrawl was found upon him; —"Received from Mr F. G. HuTtony twenty shillings, in advance of rent of. cottage in Queen street P. Thomson.", To which was added the postscript—''Cot| tage tiken from 19 th August, 1872, rent to be £2 per month, for six months. P. T." Plmnmer said he woiild make it a caution (to him (Farrell) for so using and detain- • i«g a respectable man; but Farrel| replied, "If <X.m»% ,y«tt » bpwtowl .nii!e# up-country, I would bring you to Mr Caldwel}." "Where are you-taking hie Majesty's gaol," reajionded Farrell. He denied on the way that he was the man wanted, and threatened actions for wrongful arrest. The Warder at the gate recognised his ward in disguise, »hd so did Mr CaldVell when he was brought before him. Plumirer, once iusido the gaol walls, saw that his game was up, at least for tliat time, and took matters iv the most unconcerned way. He was stripped completely of 'the clothes he was wearing, dressed in prison costume, and locked up in a cell for the night He remarked to Detective Farrell, " I have not seen you before, but 1 know you." Farrell said it was the same with him.

When arrested Pluramer.worc a pepper and salt colour oat, new dark coloured trmtaera. a scarf and collar, a waistcoat— supposed-o be the one stolen from the Cricket Ground pavilion—a shirt, and elastic-sided boots. He wore the prison inside flannel, and a piece of flannel had been sewn over the prison brand on it. He wore a soft light-coloured felt hat, which was quite new.. , , There were fonnd on him when searched, five-pence in coppers, thirteen three-penny pieces, two four-penny pieces, seventeen sixpences, four shillings, three half-crowns, and a half-sovereign. He had also a fur-covered cigar case, six portmonnaies, alo king glass, knife, matchbox, a meerschaum pipe (stolen from the St-Vincent Hotel)ra month-piece^ and a copy of the latest; issue "of the Evening Star. , We give the following particulars fcelative to the series of till, jobberies which have taken place about the north end of Great King Rtre*s, on_! <6Ven.ing^r lately. Oh Friday evening abme. one visited the store of Mr M'Dougall, between half-past seven and eight o'clock, and took away the drawer in which the money was kept.

The front door of tho shop-was dosed at the tiw<B. Mrs 3f'Dougoll was sitting In tho room behind the shop. JL~ person.' to whom she was speaking remarked thai she thought there was some person in the; shop, but Mrs M'Dougaii,-oil booking, found no one in it, but found tlio till and content* gone. A piece of cloth lying on tho floor had apparently been rolled round a boot, and must .have dropped off while tho thief was stooping over the counter. Previous to that, a man about sft. 4in. or offc. bin. high, with no whiskers, wearing a light oloiircd felt hat, and whose face was a new one to her, bought two Gakes of tolncco. She believed he was the same man that she saw looking in tho window while she was serving a customer, and who averted his face whenever she looked at him.

The bar of Waiu's Royal Hotel was robbed between a quarter after seven and half-past seven on Monday evening. The till—a box about twelve inches by eight— was carried away, and so were its c<»nttnite, 'amounting^ toi. about £3 in money. The operator went up a right of way near tlxe hotel, and after removing the cash, carefully placed the till and the documents it contained, under a water-butt out of the rain. Mr Wain says he feels it a pleasure to be robbed by so considerate a thief. The theft was so quietly performed, that Mrs Wain—who was sitting in the room next to the .bar, with the j' door ajar—did not hear any noise. | At about half-past seven o'clock, there was no one in the bar of Mr Hutchinson'fl Prince Alfred Hotel for a few minutes, but there were people in two cootns adjoining the bar, the doors of which opened on to it, and were then partly « open. Two tin Imixcs, containing about ' 30s, were made off with ; no one was heard in the bar, and the theft was not discovered till the Imxes and money were missed. j

: At the St. Vincent Hotel, the thief waa seen, though the description of Intu there was misleading to the po ice. In this case, he went behind the bar while there were people in the adjoining rooms, the doora of which were ajar, A little girl, hearing tho noise, went into the bar and saw him standing behind it, with a tnerschaum pipe in his hand, and soqiiiek was his departure on seeing her, that he left behind a box in the till containing a couple of pounds. She descr'tlnnl him as a in!»n of sft. Oin., and having a long fnco and black beard. From the pipe recovered last night, t'wntgh there is % c msiCc able discrepancy as to tallness, there is no doubt that PI it turner was the man, and it is thought lie donned a black Yankee beard for the occasion.

The till of Mr Grant's store was robbed of 15a on the same evening. Mr Crafts, of the Water of Leith Hotel, heard some ore prowling about the bedrooms, but did not see the man until ho was outside the house running away.

The prisoners' shod at the Botanic Gardens was also broken into a few evenings ago.

An enquiry into the escape of Plumtner was commenced at the Gaol yesterday (prior to his capture) before I. N. Watt, Esq., and W. Mason, Emj., Visiting Justices. Proceedings were adjourned, sis the warders were unavoidably absent.