CAPTURE OF ROBERTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1745, 2 June 1888, Page 3

CAPTURE OF ROBERTS.

THE ARREST. Xhe police in the Christchurch district htve xeaiqn to be pleated with the asiiatanoe ■ they generally get from the public when they . are engaged in bringing a criminal to juitiee or ate atriving to arreat an abseonder of J whatever kind. In connection with Jonathan Roberta* eaoape from Timaru they wore equally fortunate in having “a friend at court ” ai it were. On Wednesday Inspector Pender received information which led him to euapeot that Roberta was somewhere about Ellesmere, and the task of effecting bis cap* ture—if capture were poaaiblo—was delegated to Detective O’Connor, than whom a amarter man at the business doss not exist perhaps in Row Zealand. He seems to appreciate his "work with a keenness which overcomea every obstacle, and brings him up at the right moment at the right place. i£e it was, then, who had the direction of the plans for the < circumvention of the Timaru escapee. Detective O’Connor went to Lseiton on Thursday morning by the early train, and mar* shaUed his forces, which consisted of Constants Simpson and Warring, The three wore armed with revolvers. The former took horse in one direction, and the two latter seated themselves in a baggy aud went another. Constable Simpson and the detective were acquainted with the appearance and general build of the object of their search, and possessed those advantages over Constable Warring, who, however, was in readiness to assist the detective in ease' of emergency. From the arrival of the train at lieeitonto its departure again for Christchurch would bo somewhere about five hours, ■o that the pursuers had not a lot of time to scour the country. As it turned out they made the very best use of their time. Constable Simpson was the pursuer on whose bead rests the laurels for the actual arrest. Travelling aiding a bye-road, litt'e frequented, and the least likely to have on it the ordinary traveller, the constable espied a • laborer grabbing gorse on the ro&d side. Almost at the same instant the laborer changed hie tactioe, and disappeared, a movement Which went far to assure the vigilant constable that ho was on the right track. He rapidly rode after bis man, and got close enough to call him to surrender, which, not being complied with, was followed by three ahots from the constable’s revolver. Swiftness of limb and valor succumbed to the leaden missiles, as they whizzed near the runaway, and he gave up the race, Constable tiimpion covered him with his pistol until three men near by had arrived on the scene. He requested these to place the bracelets on the prisoner, which they did. Soon after Detective O’Connor and Constable Warring put in an appearance, the arrangement having been that the three were to meet at a particular point, and the arrest appears to have been near the place decided upon. Robert* wai removed to the Railway Station, placed in the train, and conveyed to Ohrietchurch, where he was accommodated with Government lodginge pending his trial for escaping from legal custody. The Timaru police had a few day* ago received tidings of the man’s whereabouts, and Constable Kenny, in plain clothes, followed the trail, He upon the posse of Christchurch police just when the arrest was completed. THE PRISONER’S EXPERIENCES. It is hardly five weeks since Jonathan Roberts made h-s daring escape from the Tirusru gaol. It will be remembered that be ran away on the 28th April, and that the immediate effort! to capture him proved unsuccessful. He was heard of from time to time, but not much credence wee then given to the etories. He has become very communicative since hl» rearrest, aud to a large extent corroborates what has been published about him, It appears that he had been watching his opportunity to out and run, snd the audacity of his flight proves his determination to obtain a little liberty during the five years he had to undergo for horsestealing. On the 28th April he got his opportunity, and used it. In leaving the gaol he visited the clothes closet, took a carpet bag in one hand and a suit of clothes in the other, and sped with all possible haste to elude the hands of his recent custodians. He managed this, and, finding a convenient apot, he stripped, changed his broad arrow lor something more civilian, ‘and continued his career. That night and several others he glept under haystacks and in sheds, keeping sm much to tne back country as possible. In the first forty-eight hours he calculated he travelled nearly fifty miles. He heard of a job at Makikihi, and obtained a situation on » threshing machine. Here he worked for a fortnight, and during that lime the paddock in which he was was visited by two policemen, but he escaped identification. Suspectin* pursuit, he left for iresh fields, and gradually worked his way to Temuka, where he slept in a liable for three nights and then came northward, tramping by day and by night, and getting his meals as best he oould. At the Ashburton river he saw a horseman, the image of a mounted constable, and to avoid detection took off his trousers aud , waded the stream. He passed Rakaia in daylight and slowly journtyed northwards until he reached Killinchy last Tuesday week. There he offered bis services to Mr* Crowe, who declined them as she did nut want a man. He asked only 10* a week wages when he repeated hie offer, which Mis Crowe finally accepted, and on her farm he worked for nine' days, winding up his adventures on, the farm by failing into the of the Ohrietohuroh police. On one booMion when down South be |ot into

a peculiar eituation. Early one morning he called at a door and asked for some hot water to make tea. “ How many are you P” oaid the good lady. “There’s only one,” answered the interrogator. “ Then come in and hare breakfast,” replied the good dsme. In Robert* went and sat down to breakfast with the good lady and her two daughters. Of course, conversation was started, and turned on the Huberts escapade. One young lady wouldn’t inform if she knew whore he was j the other would. Robreta fit uneasy, as he was so much spoken of, until the conversation dropped by one young lady observing tbst, they shouldn't suys 'h ng! about aman, because they didn’t know how far he was away. This was too much. Roberts excused himself, quietly retired, and then put some distance between him and that house, tie lady of which serves milk to the Timaru station, and was one of the earliest to put the police on the scent, Roberts, with all bis travelling and knocking about, has succeeded in faring well, judging from the healthy appearance he presents in his latest home.—Press.

It is stated in Timaru that the information that led to the arre«t of Roberts was first supplied to Detective Kerby, in Timaru, who telegraphed it to the Christchurch police.