BOLD BED FOR LIBERTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18334, 26 February 1923, Page 6

BOLD BED FOR LIBERTY.

■ ' : ';V" • ■''•■-.■'-. .;■•.■■. '.••..'■■•. ■-'■'■■:■--i^ ■;.--.?■■■■■'■;.' :;-;: '~■■-" ■■>;. ■:•... .;.. .' ■■■'■.■' ■ .v-i-'.v-'-.-JViJK PRISPNER EVADES EJCORT."!' ~;,//; _ : '';r| ESCAPES FEOM A TRAIN;'V .! .■•••:r : "--'•••"• '.■'•.■■■•: •"" •■ '. "f r m ■ ''.". ■'•■!;"'■'"'.•: ,\'- ' ~~ ■.■•■■ -ii-'Mi I v NOT YET RECAPTURED. ■ : .-- ■ ■ "'.'.■■•■.'.'.•.'■..■' : ; .'tvj*:^ A -successful escape from custody w M \ ; effected early yesterday morning by £.:£* prisoner, who was being brought to Auck- ,' land by the Main Trunk express. He - managed to elude his escort and disap. • pear while "the train was at a standstill at the Newmarket railway station, and he was still at large at a late hour last " night. ;■•... • ' ' ;*" - The prisoner, James Williams, is -an".j§*gj habitual criminal. He was being con- p| veyed. from Wellington to Auckland tovfc serve a term of 12 months' imprison---' ment in Mount Eden prison for the of- $& fence of stealing from the person. , ,;„*■ The carriage in .which the prisoner :" made the journey from the South w M the second or third lrcm the front of ; - the train which was a long one, comprising about 16 coaches., There were, it >i appears, two other prisoners in the carriage together with two warders as .&%M corts About the time the train drew t up at the station, Williams rose, and was) M allowed to enter the lavatory, while apf warder kept watch on the door. It jsKg stated that after the prisoner had been' absent a few moments the warder became-, suspicious and,; making an investigation, j, found the' man gone A fairly large number of passengen leave the express at Newmarket on Sunday mornings, and the station usually presents a busy appearance for a/ few minutes .after the train stops. Yesterday it is surmised that between 50 and 60; travellers descended, and the probabili- >.y ties are that the escaping prisoner mingled with the moving _ crowd ;.and.ts calmly walked off the station platform. • This action would he rendered feasible bv the fact that Williams was in civilian dress. .He was wearing a light grey suit, marked with very small checks, a ■ -light ! - felt hat, a collar and bow tie, and a pair of black boots. • Vr|&; An energetic search •■ was conducted 1 , throughout the day and evening without:,result? Williams resided m Auckland for ;|:./ some time, and consequently is expected to be fairly well acquainted with the%jf city He is 36 years of age, and a native of Tasmania. ' He. is of medium bu.ld, and has a fresh complexion .with fair to-iv; brown hair, thinning out. His eyes are;.Ji, erev and he weighs 11 stone. .. The leaped man has served sentences for a :u| number of offences both in Australia.and.New Zealand, and was declared:/a||| habitual criminal at .Wellington- at the beginning of the present month. He ; hasM been known from time to time by the aliases Hayes, Holmes, and Montgomery. .