The Ways Of The Late

Thos. Carodoc Kerry

NOTE from Mr. Arthur J. Vogan

loho, despite his weight of years,

continues to take a keen interest in

Pacific Islands affairs:

YOUR somewhat laudatory story of the life of Thomas Carodoc Kerry (Nov ember “PIM”) makes strange read ing for anyone old enough to remember something of the career of the old rascal.

The late Sir Hubert Murray told me that T. C. Kerry, after one of his raids to steal native curios (which he sold in America and England) cost the Papuan Government about £7OO to pacify the natives, who otherwise would have killed the next party of whites that went past the villages pillaged.

Kerry used to advertise for parties to join him on a visit to places in New Guinea and elsewhere, where gold was to be found in quantities. He would be the only one who returned—having sold their boat, etc.

About 1910, TCK went to England, and somehow got into some sort of society— he was a very pretty, sweet-spoken man, with that smile of the mesmerist that takes the clever rogue anywhere. He bought a yacht, the “Ariane,” for £5,000, and brought her out here, where he in sured her with Lloyd’s Sydney agent (near Drummoyne Bridge) for (I think) £30,000; and he arranged with a captain to take her to New Zealand and lose her.

This scheme was carried out. The cap tain got five years’ penal servitude; but Kerry got his £30,000.

Once, I prevented his taking a party away, as I was sure they would be robbed, and perhaps worse; and he wrote me a note threatening to shoot me on sight if we ever met again in the Islands.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Our account of the life of the late Mr. Kerry, who died re cently, at the age of 85, was reprinted from “New Zealand Herald.”