Escapees’ Trail 61 Thefts And Damage

Northern Advocate, 5 July 1948, Page 5

Escapees’ Trail 61 Thefts And Damage

BLENHEIM, Mon. (P.A.)— It is suspected that five escapees from the Borstal institute at Invercargill stole a launch at Picton sometime during the week-end. They are still at large and it is thought likely that they may have attempted to cross Cook Strait to the North Island. While in the Marlborough area they lefr behind them a trail of thefts and damage. , t They travelled in a car bearing Government number plates, which they converted further south, and later the Marlborough County Council’s depot was • broken into in an effort to get petrol. Two bicycles were stolen from the near-by township of Renwick. In the early hours a car answering the description pulled into a store at Canvastown, where there jS a petrol pump, and ran'into the side of the Canvastown Hotel, whereupon it headed for the open road again. DOUBLED BACK Apparently the escapees doubled back on their tracks as the car was found this morning abandoned alongside a boatshed at Picton. It was then discovered that the 30ft cruiser launch Joyce Alan, the property of Mr C. Johnson, of Blenheim, was missing and that several near-by launches had been broken into and provisions stolen. Mr Johnson’s launch, which was painted white, with a green cabin, had 25 gallons of petrol in the tank, sufficient for a longer journey than across Cook Strait. An air search is now in progress. The names of the escapees are Kenneth Allan Davie, Daniel Scully Samuels (a Maori), John Samuel Pinnell, Robert Victor Pinnell and Ralph Sutton. 'their descriptions are unavailable. LAUNCH SIGHTED A lighthouse-keeper sighted a launch off Cape Terawhiti shortly before midday. It circled in the vicinity for some time and suddenly set off at high speed in the direction of the South Island. It is believed that the occupants heard a radio broadcast stating that they were believed to be heading for the North Island.