THE ESCAPED PRISONER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17371, 19 January 1920, Page 6

THE ESCAPED PRISONER.

SEARCH ON ■ THE MAKURA. UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS. ' . LARGE FORCE EMPLOYED. jj "An exciting, but ' fruitless search for the I man Frederick William "Murray, who escaped . from Mount Eden . Gaol >on , January i 10, by scaling the prison ; wall, was carried. \ out by members the detective'and police force on board; the ; R.M. S.;' Makura lon Saturday. Although the search was-'un-successful, as far as the capture of ? the criminal was concerned, there were indications that led the officials: to the opinion that I they were well on the track of their quarry* ' . . , \ \ •

■.\ It was reported at about eleven o'clock lon Saturday morning that the escaped I convict had been: seen ; aboard the mail steamer, but unfortunately; the information was not received by the v police until at least an hour after Mvsray h*6 allegedly been observed. - , r •

Immediately upon 'receipt of tho information a large force c? : detect- under (ViWf-Eetective i McMahon, *•.- rir'ted * the f««isel at the Central Wharf, r^, uniformed patrol was stationed along j the quay, v and it was clearly evident to ; the many spectators of the investigations that the police had■ lrft;no;loophole- through ! which the escapee, ■ were he aboard : the vessel, could regain his liberty.'' ' ' " ' ! v A systematc and very thorough search of the ship j then commenced. - The ■ most likely resort of a ' stowaway, the lifeboats, was the ■ first to : receive attention, and it was while .1 the examination 'of ? this gear -was ;in j progress, that, the defectives came upon 'what they regard •? t&- the escapee's "' lair." ''''•'. . : r .

High aft, on the boat deck/Were stands a little-frequented structure, : the Isolation hospital, In it are , built I two ■- stretchers, 1 and ; the police, ■; after breaking open the door,,found secreted under. one : of the mattresses a quantity of foot. Two half, i eaten loaves of etalo . b«ad, a ; quarter i round of cheese, eaten close to the rind, & heap of mutton scraps, roughly wrapped in a newspaper.; and , one of tne vessel's plated knives, clearly-' showed that the teolation;' hospital v had been r occupied ;by neither passengers nor ;K: X:i; 'Sy Spurred on by the discovery the police officials! ito t the=r great interest ;-: of ■,;■ the passengers' aboard and groups of spectator* ashore, th6roughly ; ransacked; the vessel. Cabins de luxe, crews' quarters,; and even i the etoke-hold and : engineroom ?, were dili'gently searched, the police crossing -and re-crossing their ground. ■ . ; '••' s I: But sifter' making investigations, which extended well into the afternoon, the officers in charge came to ; the conclusion that Murray—if he had been on the steamer- 1 had ■'■ been forewarned, § and, had \ left the vessel. '-v^•'■,"•<■-■ ".-'■.' VtV-.'V'"'-'iv ; "'--->