Hospital Escaper Not Found

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30973, 1 February 1966, Page 1

Hospital Escaper Not Found

CXew Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 31. Police searching for the escaped patient, Jack Dillion Corrigan, believe his need for food may soon drive him out in the open.

Corrigan, aged 57, who escaped from Oakley Hospital at 10.15 p.m. on Sunday, is reported to be unlikely to withstand hunger for any time. He weighs 17 stone.

A police officer said tonight that any persons who noticed food had mysteriously disappeared from their homes should notify the police immediately. “If Corrigan starts stealing food his trail will be much easier to follow,” said the officer.

By 10 o’clock tonight the police had received many reports from people who thought they had seen Corrigan.

The only definite sighting was at 3 a.m. today when Corrigan was seen by a police patrol car riding a bicycle in Prospero terrace, Morningside.

But by the time the car had turned in pursuit he had disappeared. The bicycle was found abandoned on the northern railway line several blocks away. The bicycle had been taken from a garage in Wilcott street, Mount Albert. Just after 10 a.m. two people reported seeing Corrigan in Herdman street. Waterview. One said he was riding a bicycle. A police dog and his handler tracked a man to Oakley Hospital but he was a member of the staff. In Car ? The police think Corrigan may have spent the night in a car. A motorist reported early this morning finding blood stains on a cushion in his car. which was parked in the area of the hospital. Corrigan used his bedclothes, knotted together, to lower himself from his first floor room at the hospital after smashing the window.

Police said the makeshift rope broke under his weight and Corrigan must have fallen at least part of the distance. Blood was found underneath the window. The Auckland railway station. bus terminal and airport are being closely watched. All parks and reserves have been searched and theatres and eating-houses checked

and given Corrigan s description.

Many policemen were called up from their days’ off today to join in the search. The Dunedin police said Corrigan escaped from the Seacliff Hospital, Otago, in October 1942. He was retaken in February, 1943. Good In Bush One Auckland policeman who searched for Corrigan on that occasion described him as “a better man in the bush than George Wilder.” Corrigan was committed to a mental hospital in 1932 after the bodies of his parents were found in a farmhouse at Mangamahoe, Wairarapa. Both had been shot at close range with a doublebarrelled shotgun. Corrigan was charged with their murder, but found unI fit to plead.

Because of the seriousness of the charge the police regard Corrigan as “extremely dangerous.” Dr. P. P. E. Savage, medical superintendent of Oakley Hospital, today gave this warning to the public: “If you see him don’t arous his suspic-

ions—just 'phone the police or the hospital.”

30s Allowance

Assistant Commissioner E. W. Mahood, head of the Auckland police, said today the police had learned that the escaper had received an allowance of 30s a week while he was at Oakley Hospital. “If he has saved his money he may have enough for bus fares and food,” said Mr Mahood.

But Dr. Savage, thought it unlikely for Corrigan to have hoarded much of his allowance.

“He spent most of it on food, of which he was extremely fond,” said Dr. Savage.

Corrigan was very partial to tinned herrings, chocolate and sausages and had usually spent all his money on these and other tinned foods, said Dr. Savage. In addition to the 30s, Corrigan had received the usual 5s a week from the State as a mental patient. “But we hadn’t noticed any change in Corrigan’s eating habits that would indicate he was saving his allowance,” said Dr. Savage.

Since he was transferred to Auckland from Seacliff in 1957, Corrigan has been detained in the “disturbed ward” at Oakley Hospital with 170 other patients. He was allowed out into the airing court, the equivalent of a prison exercise yard, during the day. Often Worked “Up to now he never abused his privileges and often assisted and worked around the hospital under supervision,” said Dr. Savage. Dr. Savage said Corrigan had never assaulted any member 0. the staff or any other patient unless he had been struck first. •

“That’s why his escape is so surprising. Corrigan was a somewhat secretive and surly man whose mental illness was almost burnt out,” said Dr. Savage. “But because of his background we kept a fairly good eye on him.” Dr. Savage said Corrigan would probably not know his way around Auckland and was unlikely to know how to drive a modern car. “Knows Little*’ “He really knows very little of the outside world and he is not an educated man,” said Dr. Savage. Dr. Savage was of the opinion that Corrigan might lie low until the search had died down. He had been born in the country and would possibly try to get out of the city. “If the public don’t go for him he will leave them alone,” Dr. Savage said. “He keeps himself very much to himself.”

Dr. Spvage said Corrigan would have been one of the security-risk inmates of the hospital to be soon transferred to the new mental hospital at Lake Alice, near Marton.

It is thought his escape may have resulted from the knowledge of several of the patients that the transfer was about to take place.