CAUGHT IN BUSH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21963, 6 March 1946, Page 5

CAUGHT IN BUSH

SYDNEY FUGITIVE EXCITING HUNT PRISON TRAM ESCAPE RADIO AIDS SEARCH (10 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 6. One of the biggest manhunts in the annals of the Sydney poiice ended last night with the capture of Darcv Ezekial Dugan, ag'd 25, who with another man, made a sensational escape from a prison tram in which the jair were being taken to the Darlinghurt police station. The men cut their way through the coachwork of the vehicle.

He was taken in the bush off a suburban park where the police used a searchlight connected with special electric batteries.

Dugan is knawn as “Houdini.” He made a break from a Black Maria in similar circumstances on January 25 and was not recaptured until February 18. Twenty-eight persons were travelling in the tram, which is specially constructed, with six compartments. Dugan and Robert Porter Lewis, aged 18. cut a hole 12 inches by 10 in the roof and clambered through in full view of hundreds of people on their way to work. They climbed down the side of the tram and ran into Centennial Park. A cordon of 200 uniformed and plain-clolhes police, including patrol cars and motor cycles, was thrown round Centennial Park and Moore Park.

In another compartment of the prison tram was Harry James Mitchell, aged 25, Dugan’s companion in his previous exploit. In Dugan’s compartment the police found a breadknife, the blade of which had been filed to convert it into a saw. Both men, as prisoners on remand, were wearing street "clothing. Dugan was to appear on a charge of the armed hold-up of a night porter and others involving housebreaking and safe robbery. Lewis faced a housebreaking charge. Every move that Dugan made was reported by radio to search hcndquai-t----ers where the detective superintendent and two inspectors issue orders sending wireless patrol vehicles racing to the spot.

The hunt started at 10.27 a.m. yesterday when the first report came in. Lewis and Dugan were then reported in company.

The escapees had a brush with civilians following which a motorcycle policeman headed them off and attempted to arrest both single-handed. He held Lewis but Dugan kicked his way free. The police followed him into thick bush.

Dugan raced through several streets, boarded a Woolwich bus and jumped off again. The police knew of his movements and, while he was still on the bus, a police launch was moving across to intercept the bus at Woolwich wharf Dugan covered several more Gladcsville streets and then doubled back into a gully. Reinforcements of police began to seal off the area.. Poiice dogs and a shallow-draft launch were used to cut off his retreat.