MENTAL HOSPITAL ESCAPEE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11449, 31 January 1918, Page 5

MENTAL HOSPITAL ESCAPEE.

A HABITUAL CRIMINAL. An escapee fix>m tfoe- Amiklami Mental Hospital, Jotob Thomas Christie, aged 33, was fecteut arrested at Patea. He was ftrScsa to Wellington, to answer tho following charges;—(l) Escaping from tho Mental Hospital on December'll; (3) stealing a motor cycle, value £IOO, the property of T. H. Gate, on January 15; (3) at Greytowu on January 17, obtaining £5 hy a valueless cheque from Albert Owex* C sey; (4) at Wellington on January]!, obtaining goods to the value of £4 Os, and £i 7s from George E. Potter, tendering a valueless cheque inpayment: (5) at Wellingou on J uni ary 11, issuing a valueless’ cheque to H. Savage for goods valued at £:i us; and (fl) on same date isssuiug >; valueless cheque to J. O. Smith for goods valued at £3 Ms.

At Welliutgon, iiiFcbrnray, 1917, on a charge of theft, the accused was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, and was declared to be a habitual criminal. He was subsenently transferred from the Terr.'co Gaol, Wellington, to Mount Eden gaol. He was considered to be m out'.illy deranged, and was committed from gaol to the Avondale Mental Hospital. He escaped from that institution in December, 1917, in the particular clothiug usually worn by the inmates. This clothing was subsequently found by the polie-e in one of the suburbs of Auckland, about tne same time a bather at ono of the Auckland beaches reported that. his clothes had disappeared whilst he was iiv the water. On January 15 last Christie is alleged to have induced Mr Oates, motor dealer, of Wellington, to let him take away “on trial’* a motor cycle valued at £IOO. Onco mounted upon the machine, lie is alleged to have dissappeared. Tho police were notified. Shortly afterwards Ohtistio arrived at Patea, whore he went to a garage to procure a pump connection for the motor cycle. Tiie proprietor is said to have recognised him from the description circulated by the police, which mentioned the fact that tho escapee had a scar behind one ear. The garage owner rang up Constable armour, of Patei, who thereupon arrested the accused.