DARING ESCAPE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 52, 25 November 1930, Page 11

DARING ESCAPE

Storm Dared in Dinghy ROTO ROA RUNAWAY Dominion Special Service. Auckland, November 24. A daring escape was made from Roto Roa inebriates’ island, where he was an inmate, at 10 o’clock on Saturday night by Hugh Jones, aged 49, a Welsh seaman. In the teeth of a howling southwesterly wind Jones, in a small dinghy, rowed throughout the night despite the frequent squalls of blinding rain, and after eight hours reached the mainland near Tainaki. Jones, who has been on the island for six months, decided to escape on Saturday and took the dinghy, only , to find that there were no oars, these being kept urider lock and key. He set to work and found two poles, to which lie nailed pieces of board. With these improvised oars be set off at 10 p.m. toward the mainland. At times his small craft was almost swamped by big head seas. Large blisters soon appeared on his hands, but he kept at his task and eventually reached the beach at Tamaki, where he landed thoroughly tired out. He went to the city on a bus and early last evening went to the Salvation Army Citadel, in Grey Avenue, where he interviewed one of the officers from the island. He was later arrested, and this morning at the Police Court be appeared on a charge of escaping from Roto Roa. Detective-Sergeant Kelly obtained a remand until November 26. It is alleged that before he escaped Jones assaulted one of the Salvation Army officers in charge of Roto Roa. and that when he next appears he will be called upon to answer a charge of assault. .