SHOT DOWN BY WARDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 10

SHOT DOWN BY WARDER.

ESCAPING PEISONER.

BUCKLEY S|EKS LIBERTY.

DASH FROM MT. EDEN GAOL.

ORDER TO STOP IGNORED.

SERIOUS WOUND IN BACK.

FORMER ESCAPE RECALLED.

A sonsational happening occurred at Mount Eden Prison yesterday afternoon. Having scaled the walls of the prison in a desperate attempt to escape, John Buckley, aged 27, a notorious criminal, was shot in the back by a warder. He was taken to the Auckland Hospital, and at an early hour this morning his condition was reported to be serious. Buckley was at liberty for over seven weeks last year, when he escaped from the gaol in company with Frank Bailer. His lone attempt yesterday, while it did not betray evidence of such careful planning, was even moro audacious, as it was made in broad daylight about half-past four. Buckley has long been recognised by tho prison authorities as a desperate criminal, and in consequence he has not been given outside work at the gaol. However, his work has frequently carried Jiim into the gaol yard, which is constantly under the supervision of warders, and it was while crossing the yard yesterday afternoon that he seized tho opportunity to escape. Dash Across Open Ground.

Evidently the attention of at least one of the warders was diverted for the time being, and Buckley realised his chance. He traversed practically the length of the prison yards without being detected, and managed to scale the wall at some spot between the railway lino and the Auckland Grammar School grounds. It is not disclosed whether he had a rope or anything to aid him in his escape. There is a considerable area of rough land bounded by the prison wall, the railway line, Khyber Pass and Mountain Road, and it was while Buckley was running across some open ground in a break for shelter that he was seen by a warder on duty on the wall. The warder shouted to Buckley to stop, but he ran on. To have hesitated would have meant that a clever and unscrupulous man would have gained his liberty, and thero was no alternative for the warder but to shoot. The guards are armed with largo bore Snider shotguns firing heavy shot, and tho warder took hurried aim at the running man and fired. Buckley faltered in his stride and fell. Buckley's Previous Escape.

The wounded prisoner was taken back to the gaol, where ho was attended by Dr. C. H. Tewsley. > One of the heavy shot had entered his back, and it was apparent that his condition was seriouß. The St. John Ambulance was called, and Buckley was taken to the hospital. There an X-ray examination was made in an effort to locate the shot. An operation was performed and although his condition was subsequently given as fairly satisfactory it is still serious. Buckley's previous escape from custody was most sensational. For breaking and entering and theft he was sentenced to four years' imprisonment and declared an habitual. criminal in October, 1925. He and Bailer, who was also serving a sentence for breaking and entering and theft, escaped on the night of May 25 last yeai\ They slipped away from a small squad of men who wero being escorted to the school in another part of the prison and they were aided in their escape by a skeleton key, which they had manufactured. Untiring vigilance on the part of the polico authorities and the following up of slendor clues resulted in the capture of Bailer on May 30. He was surprised by dotectives while bathing in a pool at Sharks Bay, Birkenhead. The 'two escaped prisoners had established an elaborate camp and there was ample evidence that Buckley was in the vicinity.

Oar Stolen at Remuera.

Then followed a sensational man-hunt. Several houses on the North Shore were entered and food was either oaten on the premises or taken away.. It was not long before these incidents ceased and tho police were convinced that their quarry had left the North Shore. On June 2 a powerful motor-car, owned by Mr. Alfred P. Robinson, of Xaraka, was stolon from Omahu Road, Remuera. The car was found abandoned five days later in a. desolate part of the country throe miles from Taumarunui. The polico were certain that Buckley had used the car for his escape and they traced him ns far as Kakahi, He had been daring enough to ask for a "lift" in a car to this town south of Taumarunui.

Then Buckley made his way to Wellington, where he was recognised by a constable but managed to elude arrest for several days. However, he was unable to leave the city and on July 17 he was recaptured by Detectives McLennan and Jarrold. During his term of liberty he had committed soveral crimes, using explosives in at least one caso of breaking and entering, and on these charges he was sentenced to terms of imprisonment concurrent with the sentence he was serving at the time oi his escape. On ttio charge of escaping from prison Buckley was sentenced to an extra throe years' imprisonment.