SENSATIONAL AFFAIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1922, Page 8

SENSATIONAL AFFAIR.

ALLEGED BURGLARS AT OKOIA. EXCITING CROSS-COUNTRY CHASE. • On a recent evening the Okoia district was the scene of a sensational chase by the police after three alleged burglars, which culminated in the capture of one of them under exciting circumstances. During the past few days there have been reports of burglaries in the districts around Wanganui, and the police force has been on the qui vive. About 5.30 last evening an urgent call came to the police station from Mr. D. McGregor’s residence at Okoia. It appears that before that time three strange men came to the house. • A little girl was the only one at home at the time, the other members of the family being at the cowshed some distance away. One of the men told the girl that her brother had been hurt over at the cowshed, and said that she had to go over there. The little girl went at once, but more for the reason that she did not like the appearance of the strangers. Immediately she informed her brother, Mr. McGregor hurried back to the house, and was in time to see the three men rushing away. Mr. McGregor seized a shotgun and got a horse and gave chase. The trio of fugitives made over rough country towards the No. 2 Line and managed to get a good lead by going through the wire fences. Mr. McGregor, however, had the advantage of an accurate knowledge of the “lay of the land,” and at one stage, by galloping down a ridge, he got close to his quarry. An urgent demand for the fugitives to stop had no effect, and Mr. McGregor then fired one shot, purpose!y aiming down in the ground. The effect was electrical. The trio broke away in different directions, and one of them, in his haste, tripped and went rolling down a steep hillside. Another wire fence aided the fugitives in getting a further lead, but Mr. McGregor kept hot on their trail. In response to the summons that the. police received their net was spread quickly and widely. Constable J. MeMullan set out at top speed on a motor cycle along the No. 2 Line to Okoia. He sighted Mr. McGregor going across country, and. abandoning his machine, joined in the hunt. For some time the hunt continued across hills and gullies, but with darkness coming on the hunted men managed to get away and when last seen it appeared that two were makitag towards Fordell, while the third one was circling hack towards Okoia. By this time the party wire in the district was helping to give a general alarm, and another farmer reported to the police station that he had seen twbj men hurriedly making towards Wanganui via the No. 3 Line. Thereupon Constables Hedgman, Egan, and Sergeant left post haste by motor car for Okoia, via Wanganui East. Strategy was the keyword of their operations, and as it was thought that the men would return to town by road, the car was parked with the lights out at a convenient point, and a close watch was kept on the No. 3 Line near the point where the railway crosses it. At this time it was quite dark. After waiting some time their patience was rewarded. Two men came walking along the road and as it was too dark to get a proper look at them, Constables Hedgman and Sergeant stepped out from the roadside to meet them. “Good-night,” said Constable Hedgman. The response to the polite greeting was that one man ducked and ran. with Constable Hedgman in pursuit, and as events turned out he managed to get away. The other man likewise attempted to bolt, but his vis-a-vis was one of the most athletic and the fleetest of foot of the local police force, and the runaway was speedily captured by Constable Sergeant. The arrested man. when he saw that the game was up, submitted quietly to arrest, and was duly brought to the police station. He gave his name as Chris. Moffatt, and informed the police that he was a boilermaker by trade and belonged to Hawera. He said that he came to Wanganui for the races and met his companions on the train. He admitted being at Mr. McGregor’s place, but denied that he entered the house. Moffatt is quite boyish in appearance, with dark hair straggling over his forehead, and /apparently is about twentyone years of age. He appeared somewhat* exhausted after his tour of the Okoia district at accelerated speed on foot, and a large rent in his nether garments suggested undue haste in negotiating a barbed wire fence. His possessions included a. ladies’ handkerchief with an elegant heliotrope border, a small powder puff of the type used by amateur beauty specialists, and a sum total of two shillings in cash. He will appear before the court at 10 o’clock this morning. last' night the police were still on the hunt for the other two men, and it is expected that’ their arrest will be only a matter of time. As far as could be ascertained last evening, nothing of value was stolen from Mr. McGregor's place. —Chronicle.