A BURGLAR SHOT DEAD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2399, 23 August 1892, Page 4

A BURGLAR SHOT DEAD.

Auckland, Aug. 19. The notorious ex-burglar and criminal, Frederick Plummer, was shot dead this evening by the police while they were endeavouring to elfect his arrest. He had broken into the premises of his uncle, Charles Plummer, farmer, of Hunua, a few days ago, and had taken a quantity of tools, provisions, a gun, and a quantity of ammunition. Constable Knight, at Papakura, and a farm servant employed byj Charles Plummer, armed with a warrant, scoured the district to affect his arrest. This evening they came up with him near the Hunua Railway Station in the scrub. They called on him to surrender. He took to cover in a ditch which was sheltered with scrub and opened fire on them. They returned the fire, and finding ho did not continue firing, they advanced to the ditch and found him lying dead, shot through the head. Plummer was a few weeks ago married to a daughter of Hirst, a respectable settler of Hunua, having left his uncle, with whom he had been working, through a disagreement. On the Bth inst. he left a boarding-house in Auckland on the pretence of looking after a house in the suburbs, and disappeared mysteriously, no one having heard from him since. For a time after his release fx-om gaol he was a book canvasser and temperance lecturer in the northern districts. The police have lately had him pretty well under surveillance, and lately in Auckland he had been hard up, and endeavouring to borrow money from people he knew. In one instance, on being refused, he said it was enough to make him begin his old ways again.Plummer served many sentences for burglary, robbery, horse-stealing, and for sending threatening letters, for his last offence, he got ten years. He came out with the Albertland settlers. All his relatives are settlers of the highest respectability. When released from gaol on the last occasion he declined to leave the country, and said he would stay in Auckland and prove that he could live an honest life. Aug. 20. At the inquest on the body of Plummer at Papakura, the constables deposed that the deceased fired twice at them. They fired only to intimidate him, and were surprised that the shot took effect. The jury found a verdict that Plummer was shot by Constable McKnight in the execution of his duty ; and that it was justifiable homicide. They added a rider commending the conduct of the constables. Wellington, Aug. .19. The man Plummer, who was shot today at Auckland, was sentenced here to ten years for sending threatening letters, and served several sentences in the South. Among the police ho was known as the Hew Zealand Jack Sheppard, on account of his efforts at gaol breaking.