MOUNT EDEN ESCAPEE WRITES TO THE PRESS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1928, Page 3

MOUNT EDEN ESCAPEE

WRITES TO THE PRESS

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, July 13. The prisoner who escaped from Mt. Eden Gaol, John Leslie Buckley, has written ft letter to the “Sun,” which arrived this morning.

y The letter was posted at Christ-

- church, and bears the date, July 11th. The handwriting when referred to tlio police, was identified as that of Buckley’s. At tne conclusion of the letter, Buckley intimates that he has provided for the possibility of his whereabouts being discovered from the Post Office stamp mark. Buckley says he has defective eyesight, and while working in the prison quarry, his glasses were broken, fragments of the glass entering his eye. Continuing, Buckley says: “I immediately ceased work and complained to the warder in charge, of having something in my eye. ' At my request, I was "taken to the gaol dispensary and had the eye examined by the warder » in change, who failed to locate anytor, Dr Tewsley, examined my eye, but he too failed to locate anything in it. I complained of intense pain, and he prescribed a lotion which was administered by a warder three liours later. A few days later, after I had made repeated complaints daily, a different doctor examined" my 'eye, and immediately ordered thnt I be sent to a public hospital. I was taken to the institution next day, and had three minute pieces of glass removed from my eye by an eye specialist. This was exactly one week later. The eye ] specialist told the warder who accompanied me to tlio hospital, that I was to be taken back to the hospital for further treatment if the pain in the eye persisted. I complained next day to the Superintendent of the Prison, that my eye still pained me, and reminded him that the eye specialist said I was to go hack for treatment. He did not answer mo, but the principal warder, who was present, said that I was not to go back to the hospital for further treatment. That was enough for me. I could see by that the prison officials did not care a damn if I lost my eyesight or not. I v escaped that night. My intention was to go and see an eye specialist on my own account—have my eyes attended to and then stroll back to prison, but owing to an accident to my. ankle, which occurred while . negotiating the prison walls, my plans miscarried. My eve still pains me in the daytime, and thoughts of having an extra two years’ term of imprisonment to do pains me too, so I deem it advisable to bear with the pain in my eye until such time as I can visit an eye specialist without having to fear very much the possibility of being arrested, and having that two years’ term of unpleasantness inflicted on mo. That, sir, is my version. You may publish \ this letter if you wish to at a later # date. When I have a more generous supply of paper on hand, I shall pen . ymi the ■ account of my movements.