ESCAPE SAID TO BE IMPULSIVE

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27838, 10 December 1955, Page 10

ESCAPE SAID TO BE IMPULSIVE

HORTON QUESTIONED BY POLICE “COMPLETELY LOST” WHILE AT LARGE (Neu Zealand. Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 9. Edward Raymond Horton made his escape on the impulse of the moment, without any plan and without any help from inside or outside the Auck- 1 land Prison, said the Minister of t Justice (Mr J. R. Marshall) this’s afternoon. 1 The Minister made this statement in I Wellington after receiving a report on.i an interrogation of Horton by the Assistant Controller-General of Police'! (Mr P. Munro) and the superin ten-[ c dent of the Auckland Prison (Mr H ’ V. Wood).

Idi Marshall said Horton was now being held in protective custody at Mount Eden in his own interests. The interrogation had revealed that Horton was on one occasion within a few feet of searching police officers in the vicinity of Rosebank road, where he was recaptured today, said the Minister. There was plenty of cover in the area. Horton had no money when he left prison with the indoor bowling ■ party. How he obtained money was not yet known, Mr Marshall said. That Horton had not planned any escape became obvious when, during this mornings interrogation, he revealed that he had no knowledge of the locality he was in, and was completely lost from the time he escaped, | He spent the whole of his period of liberty in the immediate vicinitv of his recapture. Mr Marshall said he was gratified at the success of the intensive search, and shared the public relief at the recapture of a dangerous criminal. He congratulated Mr M. Mayo, an Avondale shopkeeper, on his presence of mind in telephoning the police and thanked all members of the force who I took part in the search, prison officials, transport officers, and other Government employees who worked so hard in the last few days. The Minister said Horton chose a moment to escape when the officer specially watching him was temper- : arfly out of sight of him.