POWELKA'S ESCAPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 147683, 31 August 1911, Page 5

POWELKA'S ESCAPE.

■ aN UNSOLVED MYSTERY. , THE police vigilant; pip--.' • jr. HO REWARD OFFERED. ' TERRACE GAOL criticised. . • f D T TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.} Wellington, Wednesday. . " •to police of the Wellington district have ' , i far exerted all their ingenuity m vain • £ endeavouring to solve the mystery of % ToseP h Powelka's disappearance. The - • ■Srt popular theory is that the notorious ■ . raol-breaker is still lying m hiding within the City, and in view of the ample evi- > dence of the existenco of friends anxious to effect his escape from prison, there is ' rood reason for this speculation. u' ' Tho authorities, havo not considered it necessary to offer a reward in connection /" • with the escape of Powelka. Information js beincr volunteered readily enough with- : but the prospect of monetary reward. I The Commissioner of Police (Mr. F. ' Waldegrave) states that a Departmental Jnquiiy will bo held into th o> circum- ' stances of the escape. Tho inquiry, it is understood, will include ail investigation Of the present condition of the Terrace Gaol as a prison. i The Dominion published a paragraph . this morning, which it sayis has authentic confirmation. About on© or two o'clock on Tuesday morning (tho paper states) 111 some girls residing in "bachelor"' quarters '".in Fitzherbert-street were awakened. One • 'of them heard a noise and switched on ,4ho light. She saw a man lying with his head on the bed asleep. Some of tho girls screamed, and the man at one© docamped, calling out " It's all right." The y r police wero summoned by messenger and . '-three arrived. The "man was described to ; them and tho description, they thought, Iv j .tallied with that of Powelka. ) The earn© paper has obtained a criticism v (>[ tho Terrace prison from a man who ' has an intimate knowledge of the gaols &f the Dominion. Tho article states that ■ :'i i iho Terrace Gaol has been patched, ,altered and extended until it has no particular form. The old part contains he two observation cells, which, for the ; purpose of cheap observation, were placed ■ fj fiear, the front door, and once outside the cell there is only an ordinary door to unlock between the inside and outside of ■ , the/' gaol. Seeing that the prisoner con--1 y jfned in those cells has to be "observed" ©nee every 20 minutes or so during the V v flight, he could bo just as well attended (So if his cell was situated within the prison walls, which was practically not H jbho case in tho present instance. The r ! Dominion's informant is of opinion that V a plain strong structure should be built ■'J (nth© country, preferably near an exten/■3' y; jive .area'of likely waste land,-which might ' < fce turned to profitable account by prison ' -.' labour. So situated, strangers could not 1 approach the gaol without their business ' being inquired into, and if a prisoner did ■ fcrcak away it would be a " hare and "founds" affair without any densely popu- ' bfed areas near to give hiding. The sale Of the Terrace Gaol property would pay ' ' for- the erection of a splendid modem *' in the country. . Si;: ; , % -/j. ■ MISTAKEN FOB POWELKA.- - mmy'- • - - /MAN ARRESTED IN AUCKLAND.' Iffe • freely rumoured in Auckland last . freely rumoured in Auckland last . flight. that Powelka had been arrested in fejlfifie city. When - inquiry was made it ," Vi {tir&s ascertained that a man had been atrested, but had been able to prove that i < £he law had no claim on him. ■ , .A man passing along Shortlarid-street shortly before eight o'clock apparently pictared in ah innocent passer-by the notori- 1 pgsons criminal, whose features, it is stated, * ;were well known to the alert citizen. The ~ story quickly spread amongst those in the vicinity that Powelka was in their midst, and the services of a constable were projcuied. ' " Powelka" was pointed out to : j&e constable, and was authoritatively requested to "Come with me." \ y I The constable marched his man to the : jfolico station, followed by some civilians M& and small boys, who anxiously awaited: the iian's fate outside the police station. A minute examination of the captive was made, and, curiously enough, his arm displayed a mark similar to that said to be borne by the escapee. However, the man , 'i proved- to the satisfaction of the officers that he was not Powelka, and, unperturbed wj&find smiling happily, he left the police station. / ■ , . .. — ■ ; ■.y 'SOUTHERN POSTS WATCHED. ■ y : y''i ! y : 'y ; i'• ! k ■ ■■■' 1:: y ■. i ( SURPRISE AT HIS ESCAPE. • [by telegraph.—press association.] Cvr&iSTcmTEcn, Wednesday. . ■[ There is always a possibility that tho escaped prisoner Powelka may manage to elude the police in the North 'Island and cross into the South Island. All ports pyMffi"' the North are being closely watched, and Southern ports are under similar surj , veillance. '. Intimation, of th© escape was telegraphed to every police station in New Zealand, and every officer has boon in-' I structed to keep a look out for the escapee. J»° local police are at a loss to account for the facility with which Powelka escapes from the Terrace Gaol. One officer eaid that the feeling against the adoption Of stern precautionary measures when deal- < , ing with notorious escapees might have something to do with it. No doubt Powelka could be mado amply secure, but [ the public would 'not tolerate the thought of anyone languishing in prison in chains. At one time the public wero not so tenderhearted, as he had himself seen prisoners '■' parading the Wellington streets with leg : . irons on. A- prisoner; like Powelka, if he - was to be kept safely in custody, seemed 'to require more than an ordinary measure of surveillance. ; '' ' *

' A PAI.MERSTON precaution. ' f v r~ — .• : \'*J. * PROTECTING THE SCHOOL. ■ . -^" e latest escapade of Powelka engaged t?.° attention of the Palmerston North -• £• .School Board this week, Mr. Stubbs M'id ""WS, the matter under notice and recalling the destruction of the High School' • t>»i 0 w hen the prisoner was at large in £ .P}? r8 t on last year. There were wooden ■i £ the back of the school, said «>!.' ! ofcubbs, and should a fire originate in '^ 10 prevalence of a north-west "'Mlftw ■ th ° scho ° l would again be burnt R'itt't . He move that, in the event of % Sml® * 5 Presence being suspected in 'the wcierston district, the ; chairman : have m ™ or % to engage the services of a watchM ing f ?, P ™ e protection of the school build- • xno motion was carried. 1«I'