ESCAPED PRISONER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20623, 23 July 1930, Page 12

ESCAPED PRISONER.

CONTINUAJION OF SEARCH.

THEORY OF THE POLICE.

GOING SOUTH BY MOTOR-CAR. Developments yesterday caused the police to follow two lines of investigation in the search for Francis Gomez, the prisoner from Mount Eden gaol who escaped from the Auckland Hospital on Sunday morning. A report was received that the num-ber-plates-of a motor-lorry at Iluntly liad been removed on Monday, and this fact is held to strengthen the theory that the prisoner was responsible for the disappearance of a motor-car from the Ellerslie district between Saturday night and Sunday morning. However, the polico also investigated reports that a Strange man answering to the prisoner's description had been seen in the vicinity of Cox's Creek arid a search was made there yesterday. When it was reported on Sunday that a two-seater motor-car, owned by Mr. G. K. Hunter, of 331, Great South Road, Ellerslie, was removed, Auckland detectives formed the opinion that Gomez was responsible for taking it. The prisoner was sentenced to imprisonment in Wellington' and ho is known to have friends there, so it was thought ho was travelling in that direction. The opinion was strengthened by a report received yesterday from the Huntly police that the number-plates of a motor-lorry, owned by Mr. J. T. Holland, of Kimihia, were stolen on Monday, when the vehicle was parked near the railway station.

The vehicle removed from Auckland is a 1923 model Buick, painted green and having the upper half of tbo windscreen broken. It bore the registration number 7-795 but, if the police theory is correct, it will now be bearftig (he number 39-720, which was the number of the motor-lorry. It is thought that Gomez stole the number-plates from the tiuck and transferred them to the car, throwing the original plates away. A report was received by the police yesterday that a man had been loitering in (he Zoological Park on Monday, and also that a strange man had been seen in the Cox's C'rcek district. It is stated a man answering to (he description of Gomez was seen on two occasions yesterday morning. The driver of a milk waggon stated to the police that he saw a man near Caddy Brothers' butcher's shop near (he Zoo, about live o'clock, anc| another person said he saw the same man in the vioiaity of Cox's Creek about four hours later. It was also reported to the police (hat Caddy Brothers' shop bad been entered on Monday night and that 61b. of sausages were stolen.

These reports were investigated by a strong body of police yesterday. A thorough search was made tu the vicinity of Cox's Creek, but no trace of any man could be found.

CAPTURED MAN IN COURT. SEQUEL TO LONG. .TRAIN RIDE. [EV XELEGEAFir. —WIESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The prisoner, James Alexander Scorlinge, who escaped from (ho Waikune camp and journeyed to Wellington in the dog-box of the guard's van of the Main Trunk express, appeared in tho Police Court this morning. He was remanded for a week.