A LUNATIC AT LARGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1511, 6 August 1912, Page 4

A LUNATIC AT LARGE.

ITAS AN ADVENTUROUS. VOYAGE. (By Telosmph.—Prso« Association.! Auckland, August 5. Among the odd craft abroad ou tin harbour last night was a small punt being strenuously paddled through wnn ami waves by a monlal hospital patient from Motuilii Island, wlio was making « bold bid for liberty. Last week the pres sure on the accommodation ut Avondalc Mental Hospital was relieved by tlio transfer of 59 patients to Tokanui and 6( others to Motuihi Island, the old quarantine Elation in tlio harbour. Apparent!} the arrangements had not yet been nitid< quite "tight," for lato yesterday after noon one of tho pat-ionts, a vigorous youiij man, eluded his keepers and got awaj with a punt and paddles, his eyo on tilt mainland somo four to fivo miles distant All night he battled against the tide, his small craft twico swamping, and eventually in the early hours rf this morning lie'literallv blew in to St. Ilelier's Day with hands cruelly blistered by the lonj: fight tn will across the I'i-m' miles ol storm-swept water. l r rom his: lauding, point ho made his way to ono of tin southern suburbs, where, firm a one time friend he heard that his wife was il, in tho district hospital, lie thereimov tramped through the rain to fie lioypitn to seo his wife. Meantime news of his rsonpo had preceded him over the telephone wires, am! when he presented himself at tlio hi-spital drenched, dishevelled, and bleeding, tin folice wero notified, and lie was detained, le submitted quietly to detention, and ii due course was escorted back to tin Avondale Mental Hospital.