JONATHAN ROBERTS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 461, 9 April 1890, Page 5

JONATHAN ROBERTS.

REPORTED CAPTURE AT SYDNEY,

A REMARKABLE CAREER. (BY TELEGRAPH. —PE ESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, April 3. The Lyttelton correspondent of the “Times ” tells what he says he is assured is the true story of Jonathan Roberts' reported capture. He states that a boy named Button recognised Roberts in a dancing saloon in Sydney, and wrote and told a friend in New Zealand, who informed the police. The Sydney police were communicated with, and the suspected man arrested. Ho otoubly denied being Roberts, and said his name was Newman; that he had been in the Ly ttelton Artillery, and could beiden tiffed by Captain Rose. The Sydney police had a photograph -of Roberts, but it was taken ten years ago, and did not resemble the man arrested. He was released and the Lyttelton police informed. On inquiring of Captains Rose and Mclntyre, of the Lyttelton Volunteers, it was found that no one named Newman had belonged to their corps. The public heard a deal of Jonathan Roberts about two years ago, when he twice distinguished himself by doing escapes from custody, first at Timaru and again at Lyttelton. The story of the first escape was very simple. The gaoler left the door open and Roberts ran out. having first taken the precaution to provide himself with a change of clothes. He was fleet of foot and distanced his pursuers. This was on the morning of April 28th, 1888. At this time Roberts was awaiting transference from Timaru gaol to Lyttelton, where he was to undergo a five year’s sentence for horsestealing and larceny, having been convicted and sentenced four days previously. This was not his first term, for on October llbh, 1886, Judge Johnston had sentenced him bo twelve months for forgery. He soon left the Timaru police gnashing their teebli behind him, and worked his way northwards. After he had enjoyed a month’s freedom, wo hear of him at Makikihi, where he was working with a threshingmachine, and later at Killinohy, where he had been employed by a farmer lor 10s a week and found. At the latter place he was captured after an exciting chase, by Constable Simpson, Roberts being convinced on that occasion that revolver bullets travelled faster than he could run, and judged it prudent to surrender. We are told that Egberts was then “in excellent health and condition,” and was not much depressed by his capture. He certainly kept his spirits up, and in eight days was oft again. But in the meantime he had been brought before Mr Bectham, who “ hoped he would not do so absurd a thing as to attempt to escape acain, bub would so conduct himself in gaol as to earn that remission which every well-conducted prisoner was entitled to.” This admonition was accompanied by an additional twelve months’ bard labour tacked on to Roberts’ original sentence, He was put to work on Ripa Island with a gang of other prisoners, and on June Bth, 1888, when his companions in trouble were seated at dinner, Roberts slipped under a loose sheet of the currugated iron, of which the shed was builr, swam the narrow strait—about filty or sixty yards wide—that separates the island from the mainland and made off; whither, no one knew. More gnashing of teeth amongst the gaol authorities followed, when, after an escape of one of their charges was suspected, examination showed that the redoubtable Jonathan had again outwitted them. A hue and cry was soon raised, Inspector Pender and a number of police hurried down from Christchurch, but theonly trace they could find was theescapee’s ; coat, soaked with water, which was discovered about fifty yards up the hill, where he had landed. Roberts had gained an hour’s start before the pursuit was organised, and the dark night that followed helDed him to make good his escape. There is little doubt that he had friends to aid him and managed to get a passage to Australia. Roberts was an athletic, powerful man, and an expert swimmer, advantages that served him in good stead while evading his legal keepers. He had been connected with the Bank of New Zealand, and was, before he entered upon his career of crime, in charge of the Akaroa branch of the Bank. The story of his re-capture excited a good deal of interest in Christchurch,