The notorious Fred Plummer

Fred Plummer had been married less than a month when he was shot by police.
Despite numerous attempts to go straight after spending more than a third of his life in jail, he was back to his old tricks.
Nevertheless, Mary Matilda Hirst married him on June 21, 1892, but was a widow by August 19 that year.
Plummer had been born in Bedfordshire, England in 1844 and by 1860 had made his way to New Zealand. By 1870, he was already being called the notorious Fred Plummer by newspapers.
Well figured and handsome, he had initially worked on the farm of his uncle in Port Albert. He was considered something of a hero after apparently capturing a local thief but after the thefts continued suspicions turned to him.
But there was no evidence and Plummer left and headed to Auckland where there were much richer pickings.
He rented a large house on Great North Road which he used as a storehouse for his booty.
He was, of course, caught, and among the stuff stolen was found to be wigs and gown from lawyers and judges of the Supreme Court - who he would end up in front of.
He was jailed for four years and often sent letters giving his address as Safety Villas, Parnell.
Plummer escaped from prison, deciding to try his luck on the high seas but it proved no more lucky than land and he was arrested again, earning another four year stretch.
This time he was imprisoned in Dunedin. But it was no more secure than Auckland and he again escaped. When he was recaptured, it earned him another two years on top of the sentence he still had to serve.
On his release a well meaning friend in England paid for him to go there, but he couldn’t help himself and ended up in prison there for theft.
Back in New Zealand he was working on the Auckland to Helensville railway but the work was not for him. He returned to Auckland and police found his new stash house in Brown St.
This time his sentence was 10 years and he was sent to Wellington to serve it.
He began a campaign to convince others he was reformed, eventually having his sentence commuted for good conduct.
Plummer seemed to have tried to convince even himself, calling a police officer he knew to say he was going straight. He was told to leave the country and start again somewhere else but Plummer thought he needed to prove himself, especially to the people of Auckland.
So he set out to give lectures entitled Crime and Criminals. And it was noticed by those in temperance circles in Auckland who decided to champion him.
It wasn’t the greatest success and Plummer went back to his uncle’s farm, perhaps to avoid temptation.
That didn’t last and he returned to Auckland where he got married.
Perhaps he was trying, but shortly after marrying he left his new bride at the Blue Post dining rooms and just never returned.
He was quickly wanted by police in Papakura and the next time he was seen was in Hunua where his uncle had a house.
The tenant spotted him on August 15 lighting a fire near his uncle’s farm then realised his house had been burgled and a gun and ammunition had been stolen.
Police began hunting and a couple of days later found him near an empty house. They fired on him and were fired on in return.
Plummer hid in a drain but when the police got there he was dead with a shot through the brain.
He was buried in the Papakura Cemetery.
Mary went on to marry John Reid later that same year and was buried in the same cemetery with her second husband.​