PRISON BREAK AT AUCKLAND

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30043, 30 January 1963, Page 10

PRISON BREAK AT AUCKLAND

Wilder And Three Others Knock Out Warder

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, January 29.

The search for four men who broke out of the Auckland Prison early this morning switched suddenly to the North Shore late tonight after some men were seen acting suspiciously in Lake road, near the Auckland Gas Company installation.

Earlier, a 21-foot launch was reported missing from its moorings at Hobson Bay.

About the same time, the police launch Deodar was searching off Takapuna Beach after a report that a launch similar to the missing one had been moored a mile off-shore since early afternoon.

The escapers are George Wilder, aged 25, Frank Matich, aged 24, Patrick Wiwarena, aged 25, and Reuben Tawhinata Awa, aged 20.

The escape took place shortly before 5 a.m. today after Prison Officer R. H. Grubb was knocked out as he was checking cells in the east wing basement of the prison.

As they made their escape over the gaol wall, a guard fired a shot at one man who was seen to wince as though struck by shotgun pellets. Another shot was fired a few minutes later when a small green car failed to stop when requested. Inspector W. J.- Robertson said tonight that Matich was considered to be a dangerous man and would be capable of violence if cornered. More than 100 police, prison staff and tracking dogs were employed in today’s search, and numerous roadblocks were established.

Tonight, armed police were stationed at strategic points around the city. The owner of the missihg launch is Mr P. J. Blomfield, of 106 Benson road, Remuera. who saw his boat on its moorings on his way to work about 8.30 a.m. today. He was returning home at 6 p.m. when he noticed it was gone.

A 7ft dinghy kept on the shore was also missing. The launch carried sufficient petrol for 15 miles cruising, a small supply of food, and plenty of water. Other launches moored nearby all had spare cans of netrol on board, said Mr Blomfield.

Police tonight alerted airlines, shipping and coastal police stations to watch for the missing launch. Well-Planned

The break, which was evidently well-planned, occurred just as dawn was breaking, “Wilder must have worked all night cutting away the wood around the lock of his cell door.” said a prison officer. It is believed he used a hacksaw to cut away the steel facing around the archi-

trave, and then sawed away at the wood around the lock with either a chisel or steel knife.

Wilder nailed a 10-inch length of leather belt into the wood above the lock and used it as a lever for his cutting instrument. Prison staff believe as soon as he got his cell door open, Wilder used an improvised key to open the other cell doors. Then the men waited until Prison Officer Grubb passed through the block Into the detention division. He was knocked unconscious as he was unlocking the door and did not regain his senses until the men had dragged him into the lavatory in the exercise yard. Cut Padlock Prison Officer Grubb was bound with lengths of towelling and a leather belt, and his keys used to open the heavy wooden door into the detention block. They locked this door behind them and used a hacksaw to cut through a padlock on the door leading to the exercise yard. Prison Officer Grubb’s keys were used to open a steel gate outside this door. Once outside, the prisoners

dumped Prison Officer Grubb in the lavatory. Standing on each other's shoulders, they hooked a rope made from sheets through the light steel mesh covering the top of the yard, forced a hole through the netting, then clambered 20 feet up the makeshift rope, through the hole in the netting and down a 15ft drop on the other side. The break was discovered when Prison Officer Grubb failed to make a routine telephone call to the officer-in-charge. The staff had to force one heavy wooden door which the escapers had locked behind them. Prison Officer Grubb had just , regained consciousness when other prison officers reached him. He was treated at the casualty department at the Auckland Hospital for a cut on the head and was discharged. The Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) has called for a full report on the escape. He said tonight there were still many aspects of the escape to be investigated and verified.

It would be some days before all the information could be gathered.