BETRAVAL BY A DOG.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 October 1924, Page 10

BETRAVAL BY A DOG.

ESCAPED CONVICT CAUGHT. A Salford man named Sullivan, who escaped from prison in South Africa, in daring fashion, owed his recapture, in dramatic circumstances, to the action of an Airedale terrier, which joined him in friendLy play and followed him. Sullivan, who recently returned to England from South Africa, was sentenced in May, 1919, in the High Court at Capetown, to five years’ imprisonment for shopbreaking. From ■Capetown he was moved to the Central convict prison at Pretoria. There, after serving a few months, he began to form plans for bis escape. Sullivan noticed that the chaplain who came to conduct Church of England services on Sundays arrived at about 12.50, and left again after the service, which lasted only about 20 minutes. At one o’clock the warder on the gate, who was generally a young irecrujt on Sundays, was relieved for his dinner hour by another warder—also a recruit. Sullivan concluded that the warder w'ho came on at 1 o’clock would not have seen the chaplain come in, and therefore would not know him from any other person in clerical dress. He determined, therefore, to disguise himself as the chaplain, although he v. r as below’ medium height and the chaplain was a tall man. PRISONER MAKES A BLACK SUIT.. Being employed in the tailor’s shop, Sullivan set himself to work on a black suit and a parson’s collar to match. These he secreted in a- cupboard in the shop, and waited for a favourable opportunity. On (September 5, 1920, his chance came, and, getting 'nto the chaplain’s clothes, he waited until about 1.20, at which time the' real •. hapiain was conducting the service. He then marched boldly to the gate, which the young warder opened with a salute. Finding himself free, Sullivan n-a de his way to Capetown, moving on y by night and hiding by day. One night, towards the end of _ September, at Simonstown, he broke into a House and quickly collected about £240 worth of goods, including some ready money. Then he lay down for a rest on the billiard table, and was disturbed about 1.30 in the morning by the occupant of the house. He at once dashed out with liis satchel containing the loot, and, although he ran to a gate and injured himself, he whs afterwards able to hide in a lairge flower-bed. _ Sullivan then tramped on to hi.shook, about three miles away. There he sat down by the river, intending to walk on later as far as Kalk Bay, and hide in one of the hotels until nightfall, before going back to Capetown. Just as he sat down by the river a large Airedale dog came upi and made frimds. A TOO FAITHFUL FRIEND. Being lonely and a lover of annuals, the escaped prisoner played with the dog for a time,. throwing pieces of wood into the river and getting the dog to swim out for them. When /he got up to move away the dog follow^A him, and he could not shake him off. All day the animal clung to rim. He bought for it a pound of^ raw meat, and got. awmy unnoticed, while the dog w r as consuming the meat, but again the dog followed. . When he reached the railway station at St. James, and bought his ticket for Capetown, Sullivan found, the dog still hanging on his heels. Ho was entering the train when a gentleman tapped him on the soulder and said, “Is that your dog? ! ’ Taken unawares, Sullivan said “Yes.” The - trail gor then asked for the ticket for the dog. He said he had not Fought- one, as he did not think it necessary. The stranger replied, “It is necessary. You had better come along and get a ticket.” walked wfith him, hut, instead of going to the booking office, the stranger—w'ho turned oat to be a superintendent of police —took him into an adjoining building, and there surprised him with the statement '.‘This happens to be my dog. I have a description of you as a. man wanted for escaping from the Central Convict Prison of Pretoria.” Sullivan protested, but cverythirg was against him. He was a 'Tested, charged, and sent back to prison to complete bis sentence.