DARTMOOR ESCAPE

Opunake Times, 8 January 1935, Page 3

DARTMOOR ESCAPE

CONVICTS SEEN! FOR TRIAL ATTACK OK VAN DRIVER “It’all boils down to the one fact of yetting away from tliat hell upon eartn —Dartmoor.’’’ This statement was made from the dock a.t Tavistock, Devon, by Ernest Collins, who, with Leonard Hollins, escaped from Dartmoor Prison recently. They were recaptured within an hour of Moretonliampstead, 1-1 miles away.

Tji e two men were jointly charged with: Assaulting' Jabez Frank Pethcrick with intent to rob him; Fobbing Jabez Frank Petherick v and at the time or, or immediately before or after such robbery, using personal violence to him; and Stealing a motor vehicle, the property of Jabez Frank Petherick.'

A further charge against Collins was thcit “being a person undergoing a sentence of five years' penal servitude passed upon him on May 10, 1930, at the Central Criminal Court, while the said sentence remained in force, was unlawfully at large,” There was a similar charge against Hollins, who was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude on January 8, 1904, at Birmingham Assizes. According to Mr 11. McDonald, prosecuting, the two men members of a working party of convicts digging potatoes in Inc kitchen garden at Princetown Prison on October 12. Hollins and Collins went behind a hedge, and the guard in charge of the party saw them making off. He blew his whistle, gave chase, and called on them to stop. They disappearecTTiito a wood. “Waving Red Flag.”

They were next seen by Mr Petherick, who had a contract to drive children to and from their homes to school at Prince!own. He was returning' to Princetown and saw the two men come out of a wood. One of them was waving a red flag, and Mr Petherick stooped. He saw they were cou-. viets, but thought they were trusted men with comparative liberty, The .convicts got into the van through the nearside door and climbed into the front. One of them put his arms around Mi Petherick's neck and said; ‘Turn round, and drive the other nay ’ M Petherick refused and was knocked on the head. He fell distinct blows.

After turning- the van, the men drove oft' towax-dg Moretonhampstead, They were sight -d by tile guard, and when they refused to stop he fired at the van, hoping to puncture the tyres. The c >edicts were subsequently arrested at Moi’etonhampstead. Police-Sergeant Warren, who arrested the men, declared that Hollins was armed with a thick iron bar.. Collins got out of the van with a fire extinguisher..

Collins: I could have used the fire extinguisher to keep you at bay, but I did not, did I?—You did everything in your power to avoid arrest.

After Mr Petherick had given evidence, Collins stated; “I should like lo express my sincere sorrow for any hurt you received on this occasion, ’’ Police Constable Tucker gave evidence that both Collins and Hollins made statements. Alleged Statements, “There was no assault made on this man with the cur,” Collins was alleged to have declared, “lie opened the door from me inside and invited me into the car, There was never any intention of stealing the car, only the petrol to get us out r.f the viejm ity.”

According to Police Constable Tucker, Holling made the following statement:

“Tlie man was pulled up by Collins with a reel flag on a piece of iron. When the man was struck I was at the steering wheel. Collins hit him tliree or four times on the top of the lieaa with a lump of iron or an iron bar.

“I know I said to Collins, ‘Yon never ought to have done that, and when we were going along he would keep saying', ‘What do you think ot your male now?’

“I did not know Collins before I came here. A month before our escape Collins first mentioned if to me, and 12 days before we escaped I made an application tc the chief warder for a change qf work, and he said, ‘You shall go to tlie quarry as soon as there is a vacancy.’ “Of course I did not tell the chief warder why I wanted 10 leave the party was because I thought perhaps it would go back to Collins and some of liis friends, and then I thought I should be getting myself into trouble with some of (he men for telling fains. “Two or three days before le made our escape Collins to persuade me to come into Ts T o. 81 party, as a fellow named Alfic Clapp and another fellow doing six years would also escape. Collins said, ‘lf all the four of ns could get together we would make a break that way.’ “I said, ‘No.’ Collins threw tire iron bar in the back of ;.he motor waggon afterwards.” Both men, who pleaded not guilty, were sent for trial ■at Devon Assizes.