PRISON CAMP ESCAPEES

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1930, Page 2

PRISON CAMP ESCAPEES

STORY OF HARDSHIP GLEN INNES (N.8.W.), Nov. 16. Frederick William O’Reilly and Claude Jackson, two men who escaped from Mt. Mitchell prison afforestation camp, and were captured early yesterday morning at Dalmorton, about 60 miles from Glen Innes on the Grafton Road, were brought before Mr. J. .E. McCulloch, P.M., in the local police court this morning, and charged with attempted escape from custody. The two men, who were in a pitiable condition when apprehended, appeared in better heart this morning after a couple of good meals and a good sleep. In a statement from the dock Jackson said that he had been in, gaol nearly six months, and up to three months ago was regularly receiving visits and letters from his wife. Then they stopped altogether, and, though he had communicated with. his people in an effort to find out something about his wife, he was unsuccessful. The worry of it became too much for him, and thinking that if he could gain his liberty, even for a short period, he would be able to make some satisfactory arrangements, Jia decided to attempt to escape.

O’Reilly said that he had served nearly seven months in prison. He was a married man with one child. He first got into trouble through stealing for his family. From the time he was sentenced his wife deserted him, but after a while he received letters from her, and they worried him greatly. He had thought that by escaping he might find some relief for his troubles. Recounting their experiences, O’Reilly and Jackson said that they were two and a half days without food. On one occasion they narrowly escaped falling down a gorge hundreds of feet deep. It was here that they took their boots off to allow them to gain a footing oh the slippery rocks, but so precarious ■was their position that they had to let their boots go over the cliff. From then on they travelled in very thinsoled slippers, which soon wore through, and, in consequence, their feet were badly cut. When discovered by Constable Purdue, of Dalmorton, and half a dozen civilians, the escapees were lying asleep near the road, and it was found difficult to wake them, so exhausted were they. In sentencing defendants, Mr. McCulloch said that they had broken their word of honour, involving officials and the department in loss of time and money, as well as unrest to the minds of people living in that locality. Each defendant was sentenced to six months’ hard labour in Tamworth Gaol, the sentences to be cumulative. With their present terms. i