NOTED GAOL-BREAKER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 November 1924, Page 12

NOTED GAOL-BREAKER.

A RESOURCEFUL CRIMINAL. REPEATED CLEVER ESCAPES. AN ADVENTUROUS CAREER. SYDNEY, Oct, 16. A record in gaol-breaking in South Australia lias been established by a' noted thief named William Digby. His latest two escapes were accomplished within a period of two days. He had already become known as a resourceful gaol-breaker, having escaped from Yatala gaol in 1921, and having two other daring attempts to his credit — or discredit. Special precautions were taken to ensure his security when arrested at Port . Lincoln last week and lodged in the local gaol, but he contrived by almost superhuman dexteritv, while having breakfast in the cell yard to surmount a 16ft wall in the short interlude between the visits of his warder and dropped down on the other side to freedom.

Digby’s liberty, however, was shortlived, for on the following night Mr Talbot Jury, the licensee of the Northern Hotel, noticed a man crossing the yard of the hotel, and recognising him as the escaped prisoner, closed with him. A desperate struggle ensued, Digby realising that his chance of escape was cut off Tf he failed to get away, but in the end he was overpowered by Mr Jury, who summoned the police, and Digby was lodged in the cells again.

But if Digby’s liberty had been short-lived so was hig next confinement. To make sure of him this time the gaol authorities kept a close watch on him whenever the cell was opened, the warders having strict injunctions not to let him out of their sight. But an open cell was not requisite to a man of Digby’s resources. During the night he contrived, without attracting the notice of successive warders, to pick away the masonry at the side of the cell door, and, seizing a favourable opportunity when the footfalls of the warder were at their maximum distance, he flung open the door, thus gaining a narrow cell yard. He again managed to get over the 16ft wall and once again roamed the country. He was recaptured several days later. Digby’s recent' record is interesting. He had only been a few days in South Australia in 1921 when he. was arrested by detectives in connection with several robberies in the city. Oh that occasion he made his way from Victoria, having escaped from Pentridge Gaol on July 11, when serving a sentence on three charges. He had been employed at. the Victorian gaol as a servant to the deputy-governor, and before escaping secured a suit belonging to that official. On the charges, of larceny in Adelaide lie was sentenced to terms aggregating two years, and was removed to Yatala on the Victorian Police Department notifying the authorities there that lie could serve his sentences in South Australia.

On Octpber 19, 1921,. Digby again adopted bold measures to escape, it being found that he and a man named McEntee had removed a bar from a window of the tailoring department, and afterwards scaled the outer wall with the aid of a ladder. Attired in civilian clothes which they had stolen from prison, they had little difficulty in getting away from the precincts of the gaol. Nothing was known of their movements, but several days afterwards two men, answering their description, were seen near the Wild Horse Plains. '

The stealing of suits of clothes and articles of foodstuffs aroused the watchfulness of .the police, and about 5.30 a.n*. on - October 26 it. was discovered that the motor garage of Vivian Lewis, Limited, had been broken open, and two motor cycles were missing. In a motor car, two members of the force set. along the road in search, and had only gone a few miles along the road to Kadina when thgy discovered one of the cycles abandoned on the side of the road. They continued the, chase, and aft.er covering about 10 miles and getting within sight of Bowmans, they observed two men on the one motor cycle. A side-on collision was purposely brought about, which threw the fugitives on the ground. McEntee quickly surrendered, but Digby got up and ran away. He was fired on and hit in the thigh, but still ran on, and covered about a mile before being 1 captured.

On the charge of escaping from gaol Digby was awarded three years’ imprisonment, but was released on February 7 of tins year on a warrant from the Governor, after having only served half >of his allotted sentence. . Nothing more was heard of him until he was arrested at Port Lincoln, after having been employed as a cook for a railway gang on the Kimba railway line.