ARREST OF HOWARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1451, 7 January 1886, Page 3

ARREST OF HOWARD.

On Monday last the Wellington police arrested Arthur Howard on a charge of conspiring with his wife and others to defraud various insurance csmpanies. The disappearance of Howard at Sumner, the subsequent finding by the brothers Godfrey of a hand at Taylor’s Mistake on which was a ring identified by Mrs Howtffd as belonging to her husband, and more recently the arrest of Mrs Howard and the Godfreys on a charge of conspiracy to defraud, will be fresh in the memory of our readers, but the following particulars of Howard’s arrest, as telegraphed to the Press by its Wellington correspondent on Monday evening, will doubtless be interesting ; - “ The Sumner mystery of the * Severed Hand’ has assumed a new and sensational phase. Howard, the supposed owner of the discovered hand, who, moreover, was thought to have been drowned at Sumner some months ago, was confronted in the flesh to-day at Petone, about six miles from Wellington, and proved to be alive and well, not at all drowned, and in possession of both his hands—not in full possession, I should explain, for the thumb is missing from the’Jright hand. It appears that more than a week ago the police had reason to suspect that the missing man Howard was working in disguise in the vicinity of Wellington. They are reticent at present, and prefer not to stale the origin of their suspicion, or the means by which they verified it. About a week ago they satisfied themselves idefinitely that the fact was as stoted, and a carsful watch was kept on the suspected person, who was occupying one room in a house at Petone, and who in the daytime was in the employ of the Gear Meat Company at their Petone Works under the name of Watson. At half-past four this afternoon, acting under instructions from Inspector Goodali, Constable Harnett proceeded to the spot and arrested the person under suspicion. Ho manifested considerable surprise, and on being ininformed what was the ground of his arrest, indignantly denied his identity with Howard, asserting that bis name was “John Watson.” On being examined it was found that he was wearing a wig and a false moustache, without which his identity with the man he was believed to be became very apparent, He was conveyed to town this evening in custody. On arriving at the police station his attitude changed altogether. His tone of indignant repudiation utterly collapsed, and he voluntarily admitted to Inspector Goodali that he was the missing man Howard, as they had surmised. He declared, however, that his wife was wdolly innocent of any complicity in the proceedings. He said he was aware that she had been arrested, and he had made up his mind to give himself up, but when it came to the point his pluck failed him, and he could not summon up courage to take the step. His arrest is on the charge of conspiring to defraud the Government Insurance Association, and other insurance companies of certain moneys. He will be brought before the Resident Magistrate to-morrow morning. The affair has excited great interest here. The strange tale of the “ severed hand ” created a deep sensation. I hear the prisoner was in the Wairarapa district for some time before he settled at Petone, and the police up their had their eye on him. In fact, he seems to have been sharply watched ever since he came up hither from the South, and periodical reports as to his movements were furnished by the local constable to the Inspector, so he has been practically under constant surveillance. Wellington, Jan. 5. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court today, Howard, the principal in the mysterious hand affair at Christchurch, was charged with intent to defraud the Government Insurance Association, Immediately the prisoner was chwged, Inspector Brown said—ln this case I ask for a remand to Christchurch, and I understand the prisoner has no objection, and is anxious to go there. The prisoner acknowledges to be the man described in the warrant, and says he intended to giyq himself up. The Magistrate—Prisoner, have yoq any objection to a remand to Christ: church? Prisoner—Efo,

Magistrate Well, I’ll give you the means to return to your disconsolate wife. Yon =1 re remanded to Christchurch, Prisoner was then remanded.

Last Tuesday night several extravageot rumors were in circulation in Christchurch about further arrests in connection with the Howard mystery, but they were without foundation.