PRESSMEN TRACE PAIR WHO BROKE FROM BORSTAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22948, 17 May 1949, Page 6

PRESSMEN TRACE PAIR WHO BROKE FROM BORSTAL

(P.A.) ROTORUA, May 16. investigations by two newspaper reporters last Saturday led to the arrest of men who had been missing for a week following their escape from the Waikeria Borstal institution near Tc Awamutu.

The escapees, Kenneth Maxwell Ward, aged 20 and Ivan Hardcastle Blakenborough, aged 22, were arrested in scrub behind the Ward Baths, Rotorua, after they had been trailed, identified and turned over to the police by the reporters. On Friday night a man entered a garage at Rotorua by climbing across the roof and lifting a sheet of iron. A car was stolen and was later found damaged and' abandoned at the lake front after apparently havin g been driven some distance. Seen Near Lake Front

On Saturday the reporters were associated with the police, while inquiries were conducted at Mamaku, 14 miles from Rotorua, where the stolen car was reported to have been seen the previous night. Late on Saturday afternoon the reporters’ investigations led them back to Rotorua. Two men seen near the lake front were followed by car until they turned down a track into the scrub. The reporters trailed them, recognised the features and checked with the descriptions at the police Station. Detective-Sergeant J- B. McLean then arrested them.

Blakenborough and Ward were charged in the Rotorua court today with having escaped from custody and were remanded until Friday. Other charges, said to involved alleged theft in Rotorua. Putaruru and Huntly, are pending.