ARREST OF McINTYRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 15 July 1907, Page 4

ARREST OF McINTYRE.

AT MON'T K YIDEU.

A I'KISOX INTERVIEW

A cablegram to tlie Commissioner (if Police lias already advised us of the ar-le-t at -Mcmte \ idco ot 1). L'. Melntyre. in consequence of certain charges preferred against liiiu in ('hristcluirch. Detailed information is now to hand through the medium of a correspondent of til.- Christchureh Press, who writes ■as follows from Monte Video under date Ist Slav.

Not many days had passed since the K.M.S. Turakina drew out from the v.lmrf at Wellington on her last homeward journey ere several people on lioard became aware that among their fellow passengers. The late Director of Exhibit* at the New Zealand Exhibition was travelling steerage, and was known by tlmse who struck up a casual nequaitance witli him as Mr Mack. This name, ill fact, was the one under which lie sailed, and though, as the result of his having obtained a berth at Wellington at the eleventh hour, it did not apjte.ir on tin* printed list- of passengers which were handed round, it was written upon the corrected list held by the purs er. Though he was seldom seen on deck during the lirst week out. it eventually liei-ame .Mr MclntyeV custom to take a walk between .">.30 and ti p.m.. and it was while he was thus engaged thai your corresjKHideiH lirst got into conversation with him. At the outset Mr Mcintire was willing to be interviewed in the regular manner, but' he subsequently changed his mind and said that he preferred to hand over a written statement. In the course of conversation, however, he averred that the true reason for his sudden departure from New Zealand was that he got iuto such financial difficulties privately, and was being so hard pressed by some of his creditors, that he did not think there was anything else lor it but to effect a prompt change in his address. He only regretted that he had not gone bankrupt before the Exhibition opened, and so placed himself in a position to make a fresli start. To do so, lK»wever. meant the loss of all chance of appointment, which he eventually obtained, and it was this consideration that determined him to struggle on.

McIXTYRE'S IXTEXTIUN'S

So far as his connection with the Inhibition was concerned, lie was satisfied that he would not come out of the affair with credit. Asked a* to what bin intentions were as to the future. Mr Mclntyre said that in view of his experience in the produce trade he felt pretty confident of obtaining ;i billet in England, where he fully expected some important letter* would await him. It i* practically unquestionable that England was Melntyre's goal. This, however, lie wn> not destined to reach, as the Acting-Rritish Consul at AToiite Vidro had received instructions from the ilouie tloverument to arrest him. The Turakina had not long dropped anchor. and was lying about two miles from the shore, when a tug hove in sight, and naturally everyl>ody expected that -he was mnveying tin* port's medical officer. In this, however, all were mistaken. as she came in connection with the arrest of Mclntyre. Rut owing to some bungling in regard to the necessary papers she had to return without the absconding Xew Zealander. aud instead of getting ashore at about !>.30 a.m.. as thn*<> who were anxious to visit Monte Video exjwted doing.nobody set foot upon South American soil until late in the afternoon. The delay was partially the outcome of an inexcusable error on the part, it is to be presumed, of some member or members of the Xew Zealand detective force: an error, too. that might have Ijcen attended with most serious consequence*. The British Consul received word that Mclntyre was travelling under the name of Wilcox, and it was not until Mr Wilcox, the manager of the l»an and Mercantile produce department at ChrisUhurch. had been identified by lw>th the captain of the Turakina and Mr KUher. a well known solicitor at fhristehurch. that the authorities were |M«r*naded that they had got hold of the wrong mall. Mclntyre went ashore with the other passengers and only a Tew of those even who knew something of his -tory were aware that he was und««r arrest.

AFTER THE ARREST

Your correspondent made il his first business, after landing, to call upon the British tonsil), through whose extreme ; kindiies* and courtesy he was enabled to interview Mclntyre at the prison during the following morning. Prisons iu Uruguay are run on vastly different line.* from those in New Zealand, and had Mclnyre not had the acting-British Consul. Mr K. R. Rowland, as a strong friend in court, he would have experienced a very uncomfortable time of it inideed. In the ordinary course of things he would have been herded with the lowest class of criminals of various nationalities, have had 110 blankets, let alone a lied, to sleep in. and his sob' sii-tenance would have con-isted of a dish of macaroni per diem. Apart from the macaroni, some water, and a bare floor, the Uruguyau authorities provide nothing for those who transgress the laws of the republic. All extras have to be purchased. Mr Rowland arranged that Mclntyre should pass his first night in one of the warder's quarter*, after which till more comfortable quarters would be found him. A bed and lidding were purchase!, and payment made to ensure Mclntyre having proper food. On being asked whether lie cared to say any thing on the matter. Mclntyre made the following remarks, which, if containing nothing of special interest, at least made dear his idea of the position, so far as he and Mr Munro were concerned A STATEMENT.

"In ihe official notice oi the Exhibition it was advertised that ail exhibits would I a? judged, and that there would be three judges, one appointed by the Exhibition authorities. ulte by the exhibitors, and the third by the two already iu olliee. .Subsequently the Awards Committee | met and decided that this system should I* doue away with, and that all exhibitors should receive a certilicate of award, in addition to this, they practically appointed a journalist from Wellington to report on the whole of the exhibits and t«» recommend certain awards. This agreement, however, was not acted upon, and aW»ut si* or seveu weeks before the close of the Exhibition, when the exhibitors began to complain of the dilatorisess in the matter of making awards, and eownieinvd to write letter* to the papers altouL the subject, I saw .Mr Munro, who told me that J had Water see the Minister then in charge. .Mr l'owlds then instructed me to prepare a schedule for clas-ilicatiou ol the exhibits, tngnlher with tlie niles and regulation- lor judging. Tlu-fc I duly drew up, having gathered from data of previous exhibitions. aud ai*«> from information obtained from .Messrs Day, H. .J. Scott, the Canadian Commissioner*, ami other gentlemen who h;*«l had long experience in 'tmiieetioii with exhibitions. The resultsid my labor* were placed before Mr how UN and Mr John Anderson, chairman of the Awards Committee, each of whom approved of them. Mr Fowlds, if my memory serves me right, actually initialling the oopy. f ] his could be obtained from the ypeetator olHce, where the printing was done, a- they had my enpv. I subsequently the luatter of

single judges wilh Ah' Munro, who .thought that, oil the score of expense, such would be tiie best. This matter was also debuted with Mr Fowiih; and Anderson, and as there were then only si\ weeks at our disposal a eonelusion was arrived at to the elYeet that no other system would permit of the work being got through. These judges were instructed by me to judge on merit, and recommend certain awards."

-MAKI.NI! TIIK AWARDS,

Mr Fowlds instructed me to call a meeting of tile exhibitors and to discuss ■ with tli"in the rules for judging, and I accordingly addressed them by circular. I then showed a copy the rules, and also the circular calling the exhibitors together, to Mr Munro. the latter of which Mr Munro signed, thus clearly proving thai he must have been aware of Ihe business oi the meeting. At the meeting which was thus brought about there were over exhibitors [(resent, when ihe rules wen' gone through one by one, and the whole of them were approved. As going t,, S | l()W i, l)w satisl'netiiry the ru<es and ihe subsequent fudging were. I may mention that out of about I.SOO awards- only 7 (seven) were protested against. It should lie understood that each award was approved of bv the Minister before being made public. I sewral limes asked Mr Munro for advice upon matter.-, in council ion with the awards, and on each occasion he said he knew nothing about them, anil invariable appeared to consider the matter of very little importance. (■or --ix weeks prior to the closing of the Inhibition I was working from 1) to Hi hour* a day, endeavoring to «et the judging through, and the on'v feeling shown with respect, to the awards made was in connection with the exhibits of wines and spirits.

liight through the Exhibition I put all my energy into my department, and 1 think that the completeness of it on the opening day showed pretty clearly that a great deal of work had been done by somebody.

Knowing that there bad been certain differences of opinion expressed as to Mr MTnfyre's position powers, your correspondent questioned him as to the method of his appointment. In answer .Mr M'fnlyre said that, by direction of the Minister. .Mr Monro sent him a letter informing liini of his appointment as superintendent of awards.