When the news of the arrest reached Wellington yesterday, there were many persons who were unconvinced that the news was true. In fact, many of them could not be persuaded but that the in dividual apprehended was nothing less than a decoy to mislead the authorities here. The police, however, were confident that the Sydney authorities had succeeded in getting hold of the right mac. Precautions had been taken to watch Kirby whilst ho was out on bail, and in the day time he was rarely out of sight of the officer who "was deputed to look after him. He was seen on the Wednesday even ing of his flight about 5 o’clock, and the first presentiment the officer had that some thing was wrong was when Kirby did not turn up to dinner at his lodgings. He was then traced to a house in Thorndon. It was known that the Talune was leaving for Sydney, and Chief Detective Campbell, Detective Neill afld a constable searched tfie vessel. It was while they were doing this the case was put on board. 11 ■ Just before'tbe vessel left' The wharf, a mah’named‘Bassett, "a relative' of'Kirby; ★as seon’standing near the gangway, but as be disappeared boon after, ’ if was thought he had' returned to the wharf. Biissett has been arrested, and will be brought back to Wellington on a charge of assisting Kirby to escape. Two 'officers will very lijcely proceed tb Sydney by the direct boat leaving on Monday, but thgy bare not beep selected yet. ’'' The Commissioner of Bqlioa received a message from Sydney yesterday to tfie effect thqtKijby had been brought up qt ojja of the Bdlice Courts and remanded for a lyeek, pending the arrival of tfie waryant frem N e 'V Zealand,

THS EX-DBTEGTIVB’S OABBEE

Kirby had a good deal of experience of police work, as he had been in the Welsh force prior to his arrival in New Zealand. For some time after his arrival in this Colony he had been engaged as pointsman at the entrance to the tunnel at Lyttelton, and was afterwards engaged on detective work by the Eailway Department. After this he went into business in Christchurch as a coal merchant, but was unsuccessful. Be rejoined the police force in October, 1B7& andi wan,stationed in Timaru. - - .•« ,„i.
