PRISONER CHARGED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21492, 16 May 1933, Page 12

PRISONER CHARGED

RANGIPO CAMP INCIDENT 1 ATTEMPTED ESCAPE ALLEGED t VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY A charge of attempting"' to escape from the Rangipo prison camp, in the National Park area, on the night of March 18, was preferred against Gilbert Edward James Northcott (Mr. Williams) in the Supreme Court yesterday before Mr. Justice Herd man and a jury. Mr. Hubble, for the C rown, said accused, who was undergoing a two years' sentence, had climbed from tho window of his cell and liberated another man. 'W hen detected shortly afterward-; while still on the prison property, they said they were about to laid the cookhouse, obtain food and conceal it and then cat it later. Neither actually escaped, and the jury would have to decide whether they really intended to escape. Archibald Banks, officer in charge of Rangipo prison camp, gave evidence that accused had been caught and returned to his cell. To counsel he said it hd# not come to his knowledge that prisoners had stolen food in the past.

Daniel Quill, warder, said he saw two forms moving in the darkness and pursued them, but found they had been captured by two other warders. To His Honor witness said the men wore moving in the direction of the cookhouse. Accused was dressed in prison clothes and had a blanket over his shoulders. There were six or seven blankets in each cell, but these had not been taken.

Arthur William Hogue, warder, said ho saw the two men and called "Halt, or I'll shoot." He immediately blew his whistle. , Accused said, "It's all right. Wo are only after food." Both men were wearing sandshoes and were lightly clad. Accused, in evidence, said he had been doing hard work scrub-cutting and at the time was not getting enough to eat. They intended to obtain food and hide it among the pine trees. With a bread knife he removed the architraves from his window and lifted the window out. He climbed from tho window and took the bolt from tho door of the other man's cell by removing four screws. On two previous occasions he had got out of his cell and secured food. On these occasions lie could have escaped without being detected. Men in some of the huts were accustomed to break out at night and take vegetables from tho vegetable garden.

His Honor said that if accused had been charged with attempted theft it would have been a different. matter, but he was charged with attempting to escape. At the time it was pouring with rain, yet accused was lightly clad, his remaining clothes being in the cell. He thought therefore that tho jury's course was to find him not guilty. There was little evidence, if any, to support the charge. . . i v . . Without retiring the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.