PRISONER’S ESCAPE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19200, 17 June 1924, Page 8

PRISONER’S ESCAPE.

DASH FROM COURTHOUSE. LONG RECORD OF CRIME. Loui s Hart, known as the “Deadlight Ring,” made his escape in sensational circumstances from the Sydney Criminal Appeal Court on June 2. It was an ironical finish, to a long period of extreme care exercised b/ the police, who anticipated just such a happening, for the prison authorities sent Hart to the court, with two other criminals, under guard of one waider. Hart was arrested in March, and subsequently faced 255 charges of breaking and ertering, by means of removing leadlights, fer which lie was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and declared an habitual criminal. He has appealed twice, although the authorities are now satisfied that his first appearance was merely to survey the. ground and arrange for his escape. On the day iu question he was waiting for lus case to be called, and complained of feeling ill, the warder allowed him to visit the lavatory. Hart was dressed in civilian attire, but was bare-headed. He was away about five minutes, and the warder, suspecting something, ran to find him, in time to see his foot disappearing through a window. The warder could not leave the other prisoners, but he raised the alarm, and a chase was instituted immediately. Hart had a good start. He dropped from the window into a passage which led straight to an open gate leading on to the street. Hart made straight for a shop, where fl® had dealt while a free man, and told a story of having hud his hat crushed under a cart. The proprietor let him have another hat on credit, and with this effective disguise, Hart boarded a passing motor lorry. The driver gave him a lift to the Central Railway Station, and there Hart boarded another vehicle. He used three cars to effectively shake of! hie pursuers, doubling back to the quay and making across to North Sydney, where he visited a house and procured a fresh suit of clothes and a revolver. So far the police have not been able to recapture him, although they have been close to hra heels many times. Hart is a desperate criminal, and one of the cleverest men the police have handled. His crime* for which he received the last sentence were committed over a period of 12 months, and the police say that in that time he handled thousands of uounds’ worth of jewellery and articles similarly easy to convert into money.