Threat to Shoot

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXII, Issue 3239, 21 November 1932, Page 6

Threat to Shoot

SK.U'LIFK ESCAPEES (iI VK MOTORIST UN COM FORT Al 3L E DRIVE. With two escapees from Sou cliff Mental Hospital riding in the buck seat, one of them prodding him in Iho back with what appeared to be a loaded revolver, Mr Charles Thompson, school teacher, of Sonthbridgc, had a very uncomfortable fifty-mile drive on Sunday. The party was stopped twice and questioned by constables who were on the look-out, but it was only chance which eventually gave. Thompson the opportunity to inform the police, and thus escape from his unwelcome passengers. The episode began on Saturday, when it, was notified that two male jMitients had escaped from .Seael iff. They were not heard oT until Sunday, when Thompson, driving his Baby Austin in a northerly direction, was hailed by two pedestrians at Kartigi and gave them a lift. A little further on he picked up another passenger, a youth who stated that he had run away from his home in Dunedin. The .journey was continued to (llenavy, where they were stopped on the Waitaki bridge by a local constable who had been previously warned. On being questioned the men denied that they were escapees and, speaking rationally, said they lived iu Dunedin. The constable was quite convinced, and allowed them to proceed.

I Up to tliis stage the driver was not | :iware that he had two escaped mental i patients as passengers. When the men i saw that he now was suspicious one of them produced a pistol and threatened to shoot him unless he drove north as quickly as possible, llis warnings ) were emphasised with occasional prods | in the back. At Saltwater Creek (Timaru) Constable Swan was on the looki out. Plven when they saw the constable in the distance the men did not cease ito threaten Thompson, warning him I that he would be shot immediately if jhe stopped. Thompson was fully convinced that the men would not hesitate ito earry out their threats. lie very ' pluekily, however, engineered to stop abreast of tlx? constable. During the : time the constable was questioning the i men they continued to prod Thompson jiu the back. The constable was almost j convinced from their rational manner that they were not the escapees, but on account of the boy who bad run

away ho decided to take the party to the police station. There Thompson had his opportunity, and told the police this his passengers were the escaped men. Despite their vigorous denials, the pair were taken in charge nad later returned to the hospital. The description circularised from Moacliff was a meagre one, and some difficulty was found in establishing identification. The difficulty was increased by the fact that tbe men bad discarded their hospital apparel. The car was later examined, and underneath the seat was found a harmless toy pistol.