CAPTURE OF CHAMBERLAIN AND LEVY.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1057, 25 March 1873, Page 4

CAPTURE OF CHAMBERLAIN AND LEVY.

The West Coast Times of the 20th reports that Chamberlain and Levy havo at length been captured. They were brought to Hokitika last evening in the Christchurch coach in the custody of Mr Commissioner James and Mr Cleary, the Governor of the Goal. The runaways were taken in a store hut on Dr Russell's run, at;the head of Lake Summer, on the Hurunui Plains. The particulars of the arrest as furnished to us, are these :—Last Sunday information was brought down to Mr James, at the Otira Gorge, by a stock rider, that Chamberlain and Levy had breakfasted at 8 o'clock that morning, at a hut five miles on the Westland side of the Saddle, and that they intended to make for another hut some twenty miles away where stores of all kinds were kept. The police immediately commenced a pursuit and arrived at 7 o'clock in the evening of last Sunday, at the place, where the two men they were after had had breakfast at eight o'clock in the morning. Theuce they were guided over the saddle, journeying through the night, and reaching the store hut at four o'clock in the morning. This they rushed but found no one there. Thinking, however, that they had perhaps anticipated the fugitives, they remained in the hut, waiting the approach of Chamberlain and Levy. At about seven o'clock in the morning the correctness of the surmise of the police was proved by the approach of the two men to the ambush. They came along each wearing a sack over his shoulders with a hole cut in the middle fer his head to go through, and carrying their shoes in their hands. They came up to the back door of the hut, and, when within a yard of it, Mr James flung the door open and he and those with him rushed out on the two men. Mr James seized Levy and threatened to hiow his brains out if he resisted. But Levy had not the least notion of making any resistance, He flung up his arms, declaring with loud voice that he was unarmed and that he surrendered himself a prisoner. Chamberlain was equally submissive, and admitted afterwards that even had he been armed he could havo offered no resistance, so sudden was the surprise, and so completely was he covered. Besides Mr Commissioner .lames, those who assisted in the capturo were Sob-Inspector O'Donneli, Constable Douglas, Mr Cleary, and Warden Fergusson. The account given by the prisoners eonfirms the accounts already published. They slept the first night of their escape at the back of Lark's. Thence they proceeded to the Blue Spur, and afterwards crossed the Arabura and got to the Christchurch road. Chamberlain admits that it was he that was fit Wilson's and was .followed from [there by three men. When he faced them he had a si 0110 in bin hand, and he meant to make the first one who approached him suffer for his temerity. On the following night thoy took potatoes, cabbage, &e, from Wilson's garden and cooked them in the bush. Both Chamberlain and Levy declare that if thoy could havo got from the the store hut without being captured they would havo remained at lai'ge for a very long time, and probably would not have been in custody again:

Tho Register gives the following further particulars : —Considerable excitement was caused in town last night, on the Christchurch coach arriving about six o'clock, with the two escaped convicts, Levy and 'Chamberlain, handcuffed together, in the custody of Mr James and the gaoler. They were followed down Weld street to the Police Camp by a crowd which assembled with extraordinary rapidity, on the news of the capture spreading. Both prisoners looked thin, haggard, and dirty. Both prisoners were very much stunned at tho unexpected capture, and reproached each other as being the cause of it; their faces were in a filthy condition, almost black, aud they looked most deplorable objects ; they were wearing sacks, poncho fashion—with holes cut for their arms. We are informed that they broke into a hut near Wilson's accommodation house, from which they stole two shirts, and Levy was anxious to take a gun with him which was in the hut, but ho was prevented from doing so by Chamberlain. Levy was also desirous of following a man named Gordon, who left the hut where they breakfasted on Sunday morning half an hour before their arrival, with two pack horses, and of' putting away' the said Gordon, on whom he had a ' down,' and decamping with the horses ; this.amiable intention was also frustrated by Chamberlain, not we believe on account of any moral objection to committing murder, but on the ground of prudence, and the impolicy of raising tho country on them. Chamberlain is also said to have stolen a bucket from Alexander's accommodation house while the police were inside.

The following telegram appears in the Charleston Herald of Saturday, dated Hokitika, March 21: —■

Chamberlain and Levy having been captured, they were brought up at the Magistrate's Court this morning, when a scene occurred. They demanded that the Magistrate should commit them for trial which his Worship refused.

Levy was threatened with being Chamberlain was sentenced under the Vagrant Act, and Levy to solitary confinement for contempt of Court.