ESCAPED PRISONER BEFORE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 19942, 11 August 1928, Page 2

ESCAPED PRISONER BEFORE COURT

SEVERAL CHARGES [Per United Press Association.] TAUMARUNUI, August 10. The courthouse was crowded this morning when John Leslie Buckley, one of the men who escaped from Mount Eden Gaol recently, appeared before justices on charges of breaking and entering the Taumarunui Sash and Door Factory and stealing £5 in cash and three cheques; breaking and entering the. Taumarunui Hardware Company’s premises and stealing money and cheques to a total value of £ls 18s 9d; and breaking , and entering the shop of the Farmers’ Co-operative Auctioneering Company tnd stealing money and goods to tho value of £4. 16s Del. Tho accused, who pleaded not guilty, asked that the charges bo taken separately. Tho charge of breaking and entering and theft from the Taumarunui Hardware Company was taken first. On this charge the accused, after evidence . regarding identification and finger prints bad been given, was committed to the Supreme Court at Hamilton on August 28 for trial. Detective Walsh gave evidence as to finding finger prints on a piece of glass at tho hardware premises. Tho accused admitted to witness that he stayed at Meredith House on July 8 under the namo of De Presque, and during the evening ho persuaded a party of golfers returning by car to Raetihi to taka him with them. The evidence of finger print exports revealed that the prints of Buckley’s thumb corresponded with the marks found on the glass. Charges of breaking and entering and theft from the promises of tho Taumarunui Sash and Door Factory and the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company were heard in the afternoon. The former charge was dismissed, while on the charges relating to the Auctioneering Company Buckley was committed for trial at Hamilton on August 28. A further charge was ' preferred against tho accused of stealing and converting to his own use at llernuera a Packard car, which was eventually found abandoned near Taumarunui. The accused pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three_ months’ imprisonment, concurrent with his present sentence.