PRISON BREAKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1941, Page 11

PRISON BREAKERS

SERIOUS CHARGES

ATTACK ON WARDERS

ESCAPEES IN COURT

(By Telegraph—-Tress Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day,

Four prisoners who made a sensational escape from the Auckland prison on the evening of October 1 after an alleged attack on three warders, one of whom was seriously injured, were brought before the Police Court today. Three of the prisoners were caught hiding in the bush at Titirangi on the morning of October 7 and the fourth was caught on the West Coast road the next morning. The prisoners were Randall Reginald David Smith (27), labourer, serving a life sentence for murder; David Fraser Watson (21), seaman and labourer, serving a term for arson; Bryan James O'Heir (23), serving a term for burglary; and John Henry Silva (25), labourer and butcher, serving a term for breaking and entering and theft. Each was charged today with the attempted murder of Joseph Graydon Crawford, warder, and with assaulting two other warders. Further charges against the various prisoners will be preferred later, including unlawful conversion of motor-cars, theft of one car and general goods, clothing, and money. Allan Roy Duff, a prisoner who did not escape, was also charged with attempted murder, assault, attempt to break prison, and using violence to break prison. When the court opened at 10 o'clock the public section at the rear was T)3CkGd Mr. C. R. Orr Walker is ori the Bench, Detective-Sergeant Walsh is conducting the prosecution, and Mr. K. Aekins is counsel for the defence for all the prisoners. The prisoners entered the court handcuffed in pairs and wearing white prison trousers, grey shirts, and tweed coats. They evinced a keen interest in the proceedings, and particularly in the exhibits. SUPERINTENDENT CALLED. William Thomas Leggett, superintendent of the prison, in evidence, said that about 6 o'clock on the evening of Tuesday, October 1, the cells of certain prisoners would be unlocked according to custom for drill class in a room on the second floor at the end of the south wing. Witness was on annual leave. In response to a telephone call to his home he went to the prison about 6.30. An ambulance was preparing to leave with the three injured warders. The witness said he went to the dome where the prisoners are mustered before being taken to drill classes and saw pools of blood on the floor. He visited the basement of the east wing and noticed a grille leading to the passageway open. He also found a double grille gate leading to the yard open. It would take considerable force to break the heavy chain and padlock. The broken chain and padlock were lying near the gate. He also found a pegging key, a bloodstained hammer, and a weight in a vegetable barrow. . Some leather and a bloodstained white tape were attached to the weight. Bloodstains on the I walls of the cell previously occupied by the prisoner Smith indicated that one of the warders had been locked in there and had been attempting to open the door. In the cell occupied by Silva witness noticed several patches of blood, and there were bloodstains on the sheet covering the bed. \ EVIDENCE OF WARDERS. Arthur Burgess, warder, described the assembling of the prisoners from the various wings. Eight prisoners from the east wing and one other prisoner were in the dome with witness when "things seemed to stop." He had a faint recollection of being pushed into a cell with Warder Scholium. He had no idea who hit him, nor what he was hit with, but he remembered being removed to hospital. He had several cuts over the head and on the right ear. Warder Scholium, probationary warder, described being attacked and locked in the cell with Warder Burgess. He could not say who hit him. He had several injuries to the head and a finger was broken. Joseph Graydon Crawford, warder, said he could only remember going to the north wing to unlock some of the prisoners for the drill class. He was in hospital until December 6.

The luncheon adjournment was then taken.