EXCITING CHASE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 97, 19 January 1924, Page 6

EXCITING CHASE

PRISONERS RECAPTURED IN HAURAKI GULF

MISFORTUNES OF A “PRIZE CREW”

Two of the three prisoners who escaped from Mount Eden prison at Auckland early in the week were recaptured in somewhat exciting circumstances.

After appreliending the first of the trio on Tuesday, Detective Barling and Principal-Warder Glynn, with Plainclothes Constables Petty and Sutherland, and Constable Nicol, traced the other two men to th’e Parnell waterfront. A systematic search was commenced, and shortly after two o’clock on Wednesday morning the searchers noticed a sailing boat x standing out from tho Orakei Basin. It was impossible to distinguish thle crow, but the stealthy manner in which the moorings were unshipped aroused suspicions The police hurried across tho Orakei sewer, and the services of Mr. Carr and his launch were obtained. Some difficulty was experienced in starting the engine, and it was nearly four o’clock before the launch left Orakei.

A course was shaped rd Howick, but after some time had elapsed without any sign of the fugitive boat being seen, the launch turned into Rangitoto Channel. Shortly after daybreak a passing trawler was hailed, and the search party learned that a sailing hoqt had been passed near the Wade River. A coursb was shaped accordingly, and after runnning at full speed for a short time, a small auxiliary boat was located outside the Tiri passage. As the pursued vessel was gradually overhauled it became apparent she was manned bv the two escaped prisonfirs. Fugitives Submit Quietly. The fugitives evidently became aware they were being pursued, and altered their course with the intention of eluding the search party. There was a good sailing breeze, and with all sail set the auxiliary made rapid progress in a scries of short tacks. An exciting chase developed, and it became evident that the crew of the fleeing boat werb striving to reach Kawau Island. •In spite of tho choppy-sea, the men in the leading boat held on until about halfway between Whangaparoa and Kawau. It was then about nine o’clock, and the launch was within a few hundred yards of the other boat. A rifle shot fired across the bows of the little craft resulted in the surrender of the two men. When the launch drew alongside, the prisoners, who showed signs of exhaustion, submitted quietly to arrest. They were wearing the regulation prison trousers, but had discarded their jackets and donned dark coats. “Prize Crew's” Long Drift. Plain-clothes Constables Sutherland and Petty, who were left in charge of the auxiliary yacht, apparently did not meet with much success in their effort to sail the vessel back to Auckland, for it was reported on Wednesday night that instead of setting a course up the Rangitoto Channel, they had by some means drifted across to the vicinity of Waiheke Island. It is stated that neither of them had much experience of handling boats of this class, and it would seem that instead of laying up the channel under the prevailing wind, they allowed the wind to take them down among the islands of tho gulf. A resident of Waiheke communicated with. Auckland in . the evening, offering to tow the sailing boat back to the city, but it is not known whether this was accepted. It is possible, however, that the two police officers spent the night at one of the settlements on the island.