POLICE CAPTURE GERMANS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 59, 3 December 1941, Page 6

POLICE CAPTURE GERMANS

Hiding In Scrub Off Akatarawaßoad WELL EQUIPPED Three Somes Island Escapees The three Germans who escaped from Somes Island internment station on Wednesday night last were captured in scrub country off the Akatarawa Road by Sergeant T. Forsythe and Constable C. E. Tanner, Upper Hutt, at noon yesterday. They were well equipped with clothing, blankets, stores, and even a tent-fly and hot-water bag. One had a large sum of money on him. They had been travelling on foot by night and hiding by day since their escape. They stated that they brought all the gear they had with them from , Somes Island, and carried it all the time. Oue was armed with a large piece of wood and was going to show fight till he saw that the police officers were armed. When they were caught, .they were in the middle ot a hurried packing up, pending a further trek. Police Informed. On Saturday night the police were informed that Hans Finke, oiie of the escapees, bought tinned foods from an Upper Hutt store at about . 7.30 p.m. Over tlie weekend Sergeant Forsythe, and Constables Watson and S. Higgins scoured the hill country north of Upper Hutt and were informed that three meu had been seen in the vicinity of Phillips’ farm, near the Kaitoke summit on the main Wairarapa road over the Rimutakas. When observed by a motorist, they had run off the road. Shortly after 11 a.m. yesterday Mr. Arthur Clouston. manager of Odlin’s Akatarawa mill, in company with Mr. Erie Olivecrona, was driving along the Akatarawa road, nine miles up from the Brown Owl in bad scrub country. They saw two heads behind some scrub. Mr. Clouston stopped his truck and got out to stay at the spot while Mr. Olivecrona drove on to Whiteman’s farm to telephone the Upper Hutt police. 'While Mr. Olivecrona was absent, Mr. Clouston was joined by Mr. Charles Muggeridge, who works on the road, and these two “held the fort” pending the arrival of the police. Capture Made. Sergeant Forsythe and Constable Tanner arrived in the locality where the men were seen and found them dismantling the fly and packing up. Evidently they had been alarmed and wanted to leave quickly. One rushed off down the gully on the approach of the police. One of the other two -was armed wth a big stick and was prepared to give fight till he saw the police were armed. Then-both put up their hands and were handcuffed. Sergeant Forsythe went after Finke, the one who ran away. He was concealed in scrub near the river. After being challenged twice he came out of hiding and surrendered. The men were in' old clothes when caught, unkempt and bearing some appearance of hardship. Strewe was wearing spectacles, which he does' not ordinarily do. They reached the spot where 'they had bivouacked off the Akatarawa Road at 3 a.m. yesterday. One of the escapees admitted that the party would have shown fight. At first they thought the police, who were in plain clothes, were civilians but the sight of the arms dispelled that idea and they surrendered. Carried Gear. Their story is that they carried all the gear they had on foot, moving by night and resting by day. They stated also that they had brought it all with them from Somes Island with the exception of tinned goods bought en route. They admitted being on the main Wairarapa road but, suspecting they bad been observed, made back on their tracks as far as the Brown Owl and took to the more lonely Akatarawa Road.

The escajjees were brought into the Central Police station, Wellington, where they are in custody pending their return to Somes /Island. They were questioned by detectives yesterday regarding their escape. Somes Island is controlled by the Central Military District and it is probable that a court of inquiry will be held concerning the circumstances of the escape. No charge can bo brought against the internees themselves under civil law for escaping. In all the escapees were only 25 miles from Petone beach where they landed, probably late last Wednesday night, from a dinghy taken by them from Sorties Island. The three internees are '■ —Haus Finke, 30, cheesemaker; Carl Oscar Schroeder, 23, seaman; Frederick Georg Theddor Strewe, 30, journalist. POLICE APPRECIATION On behalf of the police an officer of the force last night expressed appreciation of the assistance that had been given in the search by the public and the Press. Scores of reports of suspicious men were received at police stations, anef though most of them proved erroneous, the spirit and intention of the informants was the proper one, he said.