TIRED OF LIBERTY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 24 December 1910, Page 5

TIRED OF LIBERTY.

.. ... • »— GAOL-BREAKERS RECAPTURED. _. has been occasioned in Greym'outli during tjio' past week. by .the!escape from- gaol of; ttfo prisoners, Alfred l'rior and William Newton,' who had been in the cells at tlio lockup_ in-Grcsson Street on Saturday last.Prior was'undergoing a sentence of six •yews, and Newton one of two and a '.half.yiii's, I ';for jewellery' robberies at .Greymouth. , (•' In! a detailed accoun|.Hhe''''Gii'oi'rii'Auth 1 Evening' Star" says': "Mr.' Inspector Black gave strict instructions that tho constant guard .over tho prisoners should be continued till they left, in charge of Detectives Milleri and Mitchell and tho warder . who brought them over from Lytt-elton on Saturday week, and this was done on Saturday night, tho watches being continued throughout the night;.. On Saturday morning everything was perfectly in order and the watch was. rigorously maintained. Sergeant Egan was enjoying his Sunday off and Detective Campbell, was in charge of tho stjation throughout tho day.. Everything pointed to the two prisoners being quite.; safe. and nothing transpired to cause a'ny • suspicion. ' The ; prisoners were as usual paraded in the corridor of the old cells, the cells themselves being very hot and they were following tho daily practice of exercising in this corridor. .It was Constable M'Mahon's duty to . watch the cells between 6 and 9 p.m. after which.he was to be. relieved. Tho two men, who were fully dressed in their own private clothes, apparently succeeded in a very short time in getting up through a man-hole in tho roof and from there it was a perfectly easy thing for . them to crawl along between the ceiling over the cells to the gable end of the building facing the south and drop through , that on to* tho ground, a distance of about 12 feet. This was no trouble,- as there was a ventilator in tho gable which was formerly bird proof by means of wirenetting, but has been in a. dilapidated condition for a long time and afforded no obstacle to the. two prisoners once they were over the ceiling and through the man-hole which was put there, for tho purpose of allowing a man to put tho gas-pipes in order. The new'prison cells have not yet been handed over to the Police Department from the Public Works or the prisoners would have been incarcerated in them. Shortly after their escape, which .it.is estimated took place at 7.30 p.m. or thereabouts, two men are alleged to havo put their heads into the window of a sideroom of tho Union .Hotel and.to- say to the inmates: "Well, good-bye all, we're off.' As soon as _ tho alarm was given, the police were in full activity to follow the fugitives and all vantage spots in every directions were watched," ' ■

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) - v Dreymouth, Deoember 23. Tlio escaped prisoners have been recaptured, and on being brought beforo .the Court to-day, were committed for sentence at the Ohristcliurch Supremo Court. In making a statement, Newton said they had no friends to help them, and they had- no "tucker" till late .last night, when they picked up a hag containing a quantity of food. They had had enough of it, and had made up their minds to give in the first time they were _ challenged. Tile Magistrate (Mr. Crooke) publicly complimented Constables O'Grady and Ryan for the manner in which they effected the arrest. .