NELSON GETAWAY

Grey River Argus, 19 November 1942, Page 2

NELSON GETAWAY

Prisoners Missing USE OF CARS p.A. NELSON, Nov. 18. Two prisoners who had been ordered to come before the Supreme Court for sentence’ at 9.45 o’clock •ills murni ig had to be marked A.W.L During the night they had escaped from Nelson gaol. The men were Phillip George Karaitiana. a Maori, aged 27, and James William Leon Lewis, formerly of AuUral’a, aged 27, who were to be entenced on charges of breaking and catering premises at Blenheim, and of conversing a car to their own ns ; A gamer saw th e prisoners at 11 o’clock last night when he went tc make his first inspection. This nimning at 7 g clock, h e discovered that, his tuo charges had escaped. Appaiemly tin- men had used some instrument to manipulate the bolts on the goal door. Th-> police connect their escape with iho fact that two cars were taken from Nelsen curing the night, ami wore recovered at Brightwater early this morning by two men who had'followed the cars in a baker’s van. The (luffing of the cars, which were abandoned on the road, happened this wav: A baker on his way io work at 2.30 a.m. saw a car travelling out of town towing another one. He recognised the car being owed as his own, and hurrying to :he bakery he requisitioned the use of a delivery van, and in company with a friend set out. to chase the cars. Ev dently the escapees realised that they were being followed, and at. Bright v i ter abandoned the vehicles. The police were advised of the chase and the recovery of the cars at 6.30 a.m.. but they did Tiot know until 7 o’clock that the two men had escaped. Lewis had had plenty of experienced m Nelson gaol, it being his second visit this year. He was previously a guest there last May, after he had been arrested in connection with a Christchurch case.