ESCAPED PRISONER

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1937, Page 11

ESCAPED PRISONER

CIVILIANS' SMART WORK

A smart piece of work by civilians resulted in the capture, just north of Otaki this morning of William Joseph Gee, ' a half-caste Chinese, who escaped early last night from the Waikune prison camp, near Wanganui. On four charges, including burglary, house-breaking, and theft from a dwelling, Gee was sentenced at the Supreme Court, Wellington, in September last to terms of imprisonment totalling eight years. He was acting as camp cook at Waikune, and was wearing prison garb when he escaped.

. About 7.30 this morning an insurance assessor, Mr. O. Allan, of Wanganui, who had two companions, was driving his car along .the main road and in the direction of Wellington. Approaching the bridge over the Waitohu River, Mr.' Allan noticed that the number of a van in front corresponded with that of a vehicle which he h#d i heard had been stolen. Although not knowing that Gee had escaped, he immediately accelerated to * get in front of the van and force it into the side. The van driver also accelerated and in the race that followed Mr. Allan's car was slightly-damaged at the rear. After some difficult driving, however, Mr. Allan succeeded in blocking the van on the bridge and^ stopping it. The driver, who proved to be Gee, immediately jumped out of the van and ran off the bridge and on to an adjoining field. Mr. Allan and his companions gave chase and caught him after a short distance. 'On returning to the bridge they bound Gee with rope and took him -to the Otaki Police Station. At the time of his capture' he was wearing an overcoat over his prison clothes. He left Otaki by train at 11.45 a.m. for Wanganui in the custody of a constable.