THE RUAHINE MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 178, 6 January 1915, Page 3

THE RUAHINE MURDER.

THE CAPTURE OF ROTTERMAN, FULLER DETAILS. The Wellington Dominion of Monday gives fuller details of the capture of Rotterman, wanted in connection with the murder on Tuesday, December 20, of Mr McCann, his wife and child. It will be remembered that the discoverers of the crime were tho Ruahine Dairy Factory manager and his assistant. Owing'to irregularities in McCann'a milk supply, they visited the farm, faring that something was wrong. Thc V found McCaiUi dead in the cowshed, tying on his fftee, with his head split o}ien. Mrs McOann was found lying on the floor of her bedroom with her head split in three places, and the child (a 'boy of thirteen months) Was lying on the bed, his head almost ievered. Rotterman was niltsing.

3POLICE GET \)N THE TRAIL. for certain re&sons the police decided to apprehend Rotterman, and a warrant xfas issued fot his arrest. It seems fnat Rotternmn, after delivering some 'milk at the factory on the Monday morning went to Mangaweka and caught tlie Main Trunk train to Wellington. The first news the Wellington police got of Rotterman's whereabouts in that district tfas on Tuesday, December 20. On that (lay they received a telegram to the tftiect that lie was in the vicinity of Mataira, and the information was at once SK.ted upon, and special attention paid jo that area. On_ Wednesday, Rotterman called at Mrs. Walker's store, near the Karori tram terminus, and drank a couple of bottles of lemonade. That day he came to Wellington and spent that night at a lodginghouse in the city. Incidentally, he endeavoured to borrow horses.

'DRIVING ABOUT WELLINGTON. On the last day of the old year, Thursday, he picked up with a Gisborne borne resident, to whom he was a total atranger, and the pair, after walking •e streets a little, went to some stables and hired a conveyance, in which they went for a drive. Meanwhile, the police, to whom information sometimes has » strange way of hastening, a man who had aroused the suspicions of some astute observer, having visited the stables and gone away in a conveyance.

The stables were visited by a detective, but the man who had let the conveyance out, was not there at the time. When the detective returned to renew his inquiries, the two men whom lie waa anxious to get a view of TiaS come back from their drive and once more .none their way. That evening Rotterman quitted the citv, and went out through Karon and Mal- nra to Capo Terawhi'ti. At the Karori Rock, Terawh'i'ti, a number of men have foT some time "been engaged in erecting a lightlionse, and "to i the quarters of these men Rotterman went for accommodation.

All but one of the men were away on Thursday night, and the one wlio remained provided the fugitive with shelter for the night, quite unconscious that he was the very man for whom the police in the country round about wctg keeping a trying night writch.

A PHOTO IN THE DOMT3TOIT. , Rotterman left the station on the morning of New Tear's Day (Friday). That day's issue oT the Dominion contained a photograph of the suspect, and when Rattermari's "host at Karori Rock got the paper, he was startled to find that the picture bore -a striking resemblance to the man wbo had just beon'lirs guest. Ho was so well satisfTed that the man he had obliged by accommodation was Rotterman, that he 'decided'to inform the police right away, and accordingly be took the first opportunity 'to get into communication with them, and confide liis suspicions. ! The police were convinced from this man (Mr "William "Kelly) had to tell them that they were now hot upon the trail, and they concentrated their search forces upon the country between Makara and Tcrawhiti.

Friday night passed without -result for the police. Rotterman made himself .comfortable in the men's quarters art Mc-Menamen's To Ramara Station. At Tc Knmara the only man at "home wan the cook, the cithers being away on holiday. Here Rotterman rested and dined,-and the cook extended to the stranger 'the hospitality n'liich station-dwellers -are wont to give to wayfarcra in genera!.

THREE TN THE "DISTANCE. During the morning three men were noticed away In thw distance. They were approaching tin; station, :tnd tlie cook' knew that they were strangers, for noTK-, i of the hands were expcctißi home that. 1 day. He remarked tYiis to Rotterman, j jwlio easily guessed that 'tW strangers, Jvere tlie police lint on his trail. > He told the ■cook "his fears, and addert i'.hat he was a Norwegian !>t!rp's desprter. forthwith he made for NJie scnih, and in a little virile the police arrived. Ki.vt the cook would 'tell them nothing;' apparently it wa< against Ilia-principles to frive the police information which wonhl lead to the recovery of ship's truants.

It seemed for a Viifte .as if -t deadlock had been reached, liut the police i.o<.k the course of telling the eodk that •i,he man they wauled wm Rotterman. Tin' ttwtics had a inagieni effect. The cook flm■ 'ldi■!l (In- man no longer. He gai'e tile police all the information he emii<l, and divulged Rottorsaans' 'lining pl:,/<>. , u

"THAT'S WJTPTITC HE IS.K Ho took the officers outside the ami pjiiitiiij; to a chitup of scrub lius>. a little distance away, said: "That's where he is." Tlic three officers were Detect ive-Scr-l'awle. I'M,.(.live IVinpsey, arid Mounted Onstaltlfi TYsirsoii. The pursuing imrly lit.* platv of concealment, drew t'K'ir lvvi.hvrs, and pre« fov vi'hat niipht come. There v.';:-. however. ic desperate encounter. 110 ,!e-|„va{e s:,ni;j!e at all. From where lie i-iv,i:< I'i :I (against- a tl'e, j I!<'(t•'i'lt!■ •11 (' :M : ; ,v v.icit W;'S He kivw !!;;;< In' was (rapped : !n> km \v Hif "- ni" \v;\.~ u;>. Iff made iiM } -i'f.red no tv^istsunv. !!<■ -imply )>, :■ jiv l v. f.ni io Dli'i'' til-' j ii-'ti']. 'Tin vunrv" fit' V. ,1 - -I'l'lli't : " ' <,•')' \ ]•'! (]. Hud In n ]i j ?': • • !'•-• - i'!ir i ;; ■; i 1 }■■ ;■ ] 1:! > ' • V,-,- V\.l} -i, l'»ii tin* j-:'! f y 1 Jar.L'.T thilT\ wll-M i!,. rut. \\y i) m">■!! - i"'i I'i <' 11■ ■ l '' 111! i V.Ti ; in (»nr of tin- f-IN at I>t»• ul>ton Policf Station.

Ki.it :frr v,*' ir wi-; vws futile II was a (|i;icl anv-1. llipllt almost ferfaiiily 'aw I:»•<t» futih\ Even if (lie fiiL'itivt' 11;i<I t'i" fortune to I'S-'ap.. any - wliieh - mijjlit have luM'ii sent, in }\}< ilii\ ciioii. he rould not liavp on!fif •<l (:• M" iYnrson, who \v:k mounted. and n>ul<l easily have ridden liim down. If he had endeavored

to cut through the bush, he would have been intercepted by Detective Dempsey, who had been posted to meet uuch an emergency. ,

j - ; SEEN IN H 1,3 CELL . t-c'-n in his cell, Rotterman did no give the impression that he was a Ger I man. His appearance is rather of tli. j British-colonial type. He has dark curl; J 'hair, and his face is not at all ufcplcas-! ant. He is obviously youthful, and looks' strong, wiry, and accustomed to liavd work. The idea of health and youth which his physique conveys contrasts sadly with his worn, hageafd asd (lis£ettejf ft* / y .\ His nervea appear to b6 h\ & very bad, state, and he hag foe-iSilne very silent, scarcely a word passing his Hps. AH yesterday his cell was guarded, constables keeping watch over the door throughout the day and night. •Vhen arrested, Rotterman had a few llings in his possesion. He doe 3 not s' m to have undergone any great phyhardship, having been able to buy himself most of the comforts lie had been used to. It seems probable that lie totally avoided the discomfiture of Bleeping out at night,

POLICE SCHEME FOR CAPTURE. The police scheme to effect a capture was to send out a number of small parties, generally about the size of the successful one, and to post men at all the main junctions and crossings in the district. The principal roads were vehy carefully watched, and the bridges were paid particular attention to. Police motor bicycles played an important part in the hunt. They covered a great length of road, very rapidly, and the men on machines were able to watch a considerable amount of the country and collect and transmit information very expeditiously. Superintendent Ellison directed five search. He had all vessels leaving port closely watched, and dispatched teleand photographs to all parts of the district. The first photograph of Rotterman was sent over from Nelson to the police.;

BOTTERMM'S PLA'N. Rotterman's plan was to frequent the coastal localities and fishing villages in the hope of getting across Cook Strait in a boat or lanch. It may have been this idea he had in mind when he visited Maranui when out for a drive. He is handy with "boats and 'accustomed to the sea, hut evidently did not wish to adopt that course unless he could induce someone to take him across. Had lie borrowed a bout witliow: U>o owner's consent, suspicious would have been firoused and this plan would probably have fallen through had he succeeded in negotiating the chann&

•'OT/E.4RA "WERE ALL POLICED*FX.'' From the very commencement of the search, the community of Makara \<.>s •spceYliy Interested. T t was jonevsil'v known to the people that there the police considered it most probable that Rottermnn would spend some time in that district, and at length be se•rared there. From the number of enquiries that the police made there from time to time, in the past few days, the residents had a very good idea that the i police had a valuable clue.

Makara decided to help, and until it was known that the fugitive was safely in el stodv "Makara." (as one policeman piit it) "were all policemen." The residents did valuable service, and the police got considerable assistance from "them. 'Horses were supplied, and food and rest were always readily to the police. Some settlers'turned out in the middle of the night, and willingly £>ve the searchers every" help,

On the -other hand, there ivas great •niiety in the locality, and some of the men were afraid to leave their homes unprotected.-

SEVERE TIME FOR TOLTCE. The police had a rather -severe time during the search. Their'hours on duty -were" long-and arduous, arid night work -came severely on the top of thg long, 'hard "days. It was inevitable that the men who 'had done a long day's field service should have to keep a keen vigil watch well on into the night. "Some of the mounted men spent fourteen hours at •ft stretch -in the saddle. The country which Rotforman chose to "frequelit during the searfh is very rough and" broken, and much of it is difficult to' traverse. It has Tjeen a somewhat favorite hiding-place for fugitives in-recent years, and the polit-e are now beginning to grow well acquainted with the locality through the frequency of their visits to'it.

MAN. During the search, a strange and somewhat unphasant experience befel a constable, who is a new meiriber of the Wellington force. The-constable'is young, arid bears a resemblance to 'the man he was helping tq track down. Moreover, some of the garments' he had donned for the .chase were'in certain respects similar •■to those the fugitive was said to he •wearing. Some 'distance out of town, 'the constable went into a shop, and •tna'de some inquiries "in the execution his duty.*

The pel son adth eased eyed him fllrtewdly, and suspicion was writ bngely aeross his lace. "The constable retreated. "Do -you know," he said whwlic came out, -'the thinks I'm tho man:"

ASISED A' CONSTAT'"!; > TTTE WAV. 'V" en Rotterman was walking a hit',;; the road to Makara, on < lie occasion V encountered a suburbancorn-faille. The fngitive -walked em.lly up to th. policeman and nr,ked that officer if '•« eonl.l ,o].:nr him tJ.e ivar i«» .Makara. TV., obliging gave t'n« mjuire.l u : - rcc)ion.