How Caffrey was Caught.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 174, 16 October 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

How Caffrey was Caught.

Fernmouth, October 4. John Caffrey was brought up at Boat Harbour to-day on suspicion of having murdered Robert Tayler on Great Barrier Island, New Zealand, on the 19th June. The prisoner answers the description in the " Gazette "on July 7. He was cleverly captured by Constable Mays on Saturday afternoon while crossing in the punt from Deep Creek, where he bad been employed painting the bridge. May was dieguieed aa a swagman, and said he wanted to have a chat. The prisoner said he had walked from Sydney, but he could give a description of the road, ide said he had no firearms, but when apprehended the police found a cix chambered bull dog revolver loaded in his swag, 11 cartridges, a cold ring, a lock of hair, a piece of black satin (apparently used as a piratical flag), sea boota, a heavy overcoat, and a muffler and socks such as arc uaed in colder climates. He said he had been told he might want the revolver at the Queensland diggings. The p ieoner said he had never been in New Zealand. No papers were found in his poesession. He said he did not know a vess- 1 named the Sovereign of the Seas, He aaid ■he black flag was given to kirn by a man to make a sash of. The accused does not wear ea rings, but his esrs are pierced, and he otherwise fully answer* to the dedcription. The constable asked for a remand for eight days for further evidence, which was granted. The accused only asked two irrelevant questions. He could not satisfactorily account for his movements since June. He said he worked on the Sydney wharfs as lumper in June last, and on a small vessel, but was not acquainted with anyone in Sydney. The case looks very bad for the prisoner, whose portrait is on the way from Kempeey, and will ariive to-morrow. It is thought that it is not improbable that the twelfth cartridge was used for the destruction of the mate Perm, of whom no trace has been discovered.

Port Macquarie, October 4. The police continued their search on Saturday for the occupants of the cutter Sovereign of the Seas, portions of which vessel were picked up on the beach a few days ago. They ascertained that about three week ago a cutter was topsail reefed was observed passing the Nobby s, about a mile south ot the port, with two men in her, going north close to the beach, and apparently without any other occupants, as the sails were flying loose. About the same time another individual saw a small boat north of Crescent Heads, at one time under sail and again being rowed. The police cannot find any tidings of the boat. On Saturday they searched the rocka in the vicinity of the wreck, where the beach was strewn with wreckage, kerosene, flour, and other stores, and they found a board from the etern of a cutter bearing the name " Auckland." About 100 yards inland from the wreck, underneath the corner of a large rock, they unearth, at a considerable depth, bags placed at the bottom, then articles consisting of eight bags of flour, fourteen 50 1 b bags of white sugar, tea, rice, matches,, salt, two bage of potatoes, a paint pot and brashes, and tackling and sails of the 'cutter. These were covered with other larger bagß, and then with two feet ot sand. It took the police half a day to unearth the plant. It wap discovered tnrough the corner of the sail being left uncovered! The police placed the provisions on the rooks. It is unknown whether the articles were removed by the occupants of the boat or by pirates, but it is believed they wereremoved by the latter. A person from Dark-r, water was accosted by the police, and was. terribly frightened." He ran away; when observed. The police' bad drawn ' their revolvers, as the.y thought an encounter was. about to take place. A man has' Bince'bee'n arrested on the Bellinger River carrying 1 a revolver and a large quantity of ammunitiop. , He is supposed to be CaffreyV 'The lkVroaene strewn' along- the beach is of American ; brand. " The police are out all along the, coa=<t, and it is' very 'probable something will be heard or discovered , very soon, even ; should the person arrested" prove not to be one of the men.' >_iis-, „ , •-\

.'->>,• ■ Kbmpsexh October 6th. John Caffrey, 'Who fwaV arrested qußv piQiQ&of , haying murdered Robert Taylor. .on;the:G^at;BSrrfor Jdifi'Xffo Zealand , on the ( 19th T Juntoa ?^roifgh'tti^befbfe the. ,|>ollco, H of, the /Jip^rict^ haye^ been \yerV 4 ,

affair. They discovered the wreck of the outter Sovereign of tbo Seaa between Crea cent Bead and Point Plummer, and also unearthed a plant of provisions, but no traces of the men were found until the arrest of Caffrey by the Bellinger police. Caffrey stated that he had promised himself that no man should ever take him alive, anS gives Constable May credit .for the way he acted at the time of the aTeat in taking him completely off his guard. Had he known May w»a a constable he would have shot him. Constable May is deserving t of great credit for the clever manner in which he anested thie desperate caiminal singlehanded. Caffrev was at the timo of his arrest armed with a loaded six-chambered revolver. This is the second murderer Constable May has arrested. In August last' year he detected the murder of a man named Matterson, at CofFa B arbour, and arrested the murderer, Matthew Fiake, who waa found guilty, and was executed at Grafton last December. Caffrey arrived here under a strong police escort.

Kempsey, N.S.W., October 7. John Caffrey, in charge of Constable May and an escort, arrived by the mail coach from Fernmont to-day. ' Caffrey has admitted all particulars of the murder at Great Barrier Island, and states that on leaving New Zealand he tried to make for South America. Adyerse winds, however, necessitated bis sailing for Australia. The police are atill searching the coaßt. Caffrey possesses a great liking for Perm, and talke freely about the case.

PENN A.ND LIZZIE GRAHAM. Perm, the accomplice of Caffrey, and Lizzie Graham were living together in a tent on the shore near Port; Macquarie for five weeks after the wreck of the of the Seaa.

Extradition of the Prisoners. The steamer Waihora, which left Auckland last Tuesday with Detective Tuohy and Constables Mack'y and Carroll, is expected to arrive &fc Sydney on Monday morning next. This will alldw the police four clear daye in which to transact all business in connection with the extradition of Caffrey, Peon, and Lizzie Graham in time to return with the prisoners by the same steamer, which leaves Sydney again on the 21«t, and is due to arrive here on the 26th instant. Captain Popham, commander of the Waihora, has received instructions from Colonel Whitmorerto keep'Oaffrey and Perm in icons throughout the passage. If the steamer arrives her© at night, she will come uo to the Queen-street Wharf as usual, and the prisoners will be landed there ; but should she arrive in the daytime, which is more probable, she will be met off the North Head by a steam launch, whioh will take the police and prisoners on board and land them at Kohimarama, whence they will proceed to Mount Eden Gaol in a conveyance. Inspector Thompson, on Tuesday, took out a warrant for the apprehension of J Lizzie Graham as an accessory after the act, and cabled to Sj dney asking for her detention until the arrival of the Auckland police authorised to execute the warrant. Mr Brassey, solicitor, has been retained by the relatives of the man Taylor, who was murdered at the Great Barrier, to prosecute Caffrey and Perm, in conjunction with the Crown Prosecutor.