A BOGUS INSPECTOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1917, Page 6

A BOGUS INSPECTOR.

RUN TO EARTH NEAR MARTON. A month or two ago, the operations of a man named David Carter, with several aliases, created some stir throughout the Manawatu districts by representing himself as an inspector of telegraphs, hiring motor cars, and speeding from one town to another, and disappearing at the critical moment and leaving his chauffeur lamenting'. One escapade commenced in Napier, where he engaged a motor to come through to Palmerston, calling at some of the telegraph offices en route, which the bogus inspector duly "inspected." From Palmerston he motored to the Kairanga district, where he mvsteriously disappeared. He re-appeared at Rangiotu, and representing himself as an inspector of the Agricultural Department!, worked himself into the good graces of a well-known farmer there,"and ,the latter consented to motor the "inspector" to Wellington. He appears then to have taken a tour through the Wairarapa, where the role of agricultural inspecter was played with fineness. He disappeared and rc-appeared like a will-'o-the-wisp, meanwhile running up a list of offences, for which he is wanted in Wanganui, Napier, Hastings, Auckland, Newton and Bunnvthorpe. At the latter place he appears to have got possession of a horse, trap and harness, with the alleged theft of which he will be charged Needless to 9ay "the law" has been keeping its eye wide open for the absconder, who was laid bv the heels near Marton by Sergeant Cahill and Constable Anderson, of Feilding, and taken into custody.

When the police were advised that a man tallying with the description of the one wanted was in the Halcombe district they made a good search of the place till 10 o'clock in the morning, waking most of the people out of their beds in *)rder to leave nothing to chance. About daylight on Friday they found that the man had paid £'B to the stationinaster at Halcombe for a tourist ticket, which was to be delivered to him on Friday. Traces were soon found of certain cows stolen from Makino, and the police followed the trail out to Onepuhi. On the edge of a piece of dense bush they saw a man sitting down talking to a' Mjiori. Before lie could move, Sergeant Cahill was right up to him. The man jumped up, bub was too nonplussed to move. "Your name, please?" asked the sergeant. "My name is Liddle," replied the man. He was arrested forthwith.

When roving these .parts a few months ago, Liddle, who is alleged to have been the party, was clean shaven. He now wears a pointed beard. So good wag the disguise that it is said one of Hie taxi drivers who lost on him some time back drove him to Halcombe on Thursday without knowing it was the same man.

When arrested, Liddle had in his possession a discharged soldier's card with the name "Liddle" on it. 'He has many aliases—William Carter, alias Goodwin, alias Wilson, alias BarnaUv »,lias Death alias Burnett, alias McFariane, alias Liddle.

The accused was brought before the Feilding Court 011 Saturday morning, and formally charged with obtaining credit by fraud. The presiding Justices remanded the prisoner until Wednesday—Chronicle.