PRISON-BREAKERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 18 September 1926, Page 11

PRISON-BREAKERS.

ikeaping from a’modern prison is a tasK anat might present tumcuita.es> even to Jack okeppard iumseir, yet many instances prove that it can sun oe done (writes uiavici INeviiie in the Daily Mail). truly a lew mamas ago two men, who were working clad in pm liters overalls on the roof of reiuunvuie Prison, dropped down troin the 1001 into the street, and walked on calmly, one 01 them contriving to ifemaiit <a m.ge to. more tniiu ‘ six months.

Many of the most ingenious of wouldbe .prison breakers, however, have been foiled at the last moment by sheer bad luck, 'lha principal difficulty to be faced it, as a .rule, the distinguishing of the tell-tale prison garb until it can be discarded, and something loss conspicuous obtained.

A convict /at I ewes hit upon a mast ingenious method of circumventing this .a. few years before the war. The walk-ing-race craze was then at its height, and the spectacld of a pedestrian clad in cotton vest /and shorts.- and tie a ring canvas shoes with ia number pinned on his breast excited no- comment. The convict, therefore, with the help of the scissors, canvas needel and thread supplied to him for making mail-bags in his cell, removed all the broad arrows lion, .his undervest. and pants, afterwards sewing up the cuts and cut tin" the latter down into walking ‘shorts.’’ In addition, he made himself a pair of canvas shoes 'amcl a number to hang upon life chest. While at exercise he collected flints little by little until he had filled his p.i'ow case with them, and to this lie attached :i canvas rope which ,he had made. His plan was to threw this up so. that't caught between the spikes <)f the hr.nmlary tv®lt. Un-fnr-fnnately for hint it fell sliorl. dropped on his head, and stunned him.

Another, a. gymnastic, instructor, swarmed up a. dram pipe in broad*t'aylighl, and trusted to a clear st-i- 1 ami Ins fleet ness of foot to evade his pursuers. He'•met a string of _ racehorses from a. neighbouring 1 1 ainirig stable, and the lads drove hint t-> the liopeless: refuge of a. tree.

Yet another patiently picked away the mortar i,separating hi. cell roof from a lolt above, replacing it daily with moistened bread, and scattering what he had removed, mixed with breadcrumbs, to the sparrows- while he was at exercise. .He too, however, though he escaped from his cell, got no further thia.il the prison boundary wall.