BID FOR FREEDOM

Southland Times, Issue 20886, 23 September 1929, Page 7

BID FOR FREEDOM

PRISONER WOUNDED. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, September 20. A sensational happening occurred at the Mount Eden prison at half past four this afternoon. While working in the prison yard, John Buckley, aged 27, an habitual criminal, slipped away and attempted to escape by j scaling the outer wall. He had actually scaled the wall and was running in open ground on the other side when he was detected. A warder shouted to him to stop but Buckley did not do so and the warder fired, wounding Buckley in the back. Buckley was taken to Auckland hospital and his condition to-night was stated to be serious.

Buckley, who is a notorious burglar, escaped from the Mount Eden gaol last year and was at large for over seven weeks.

CONDITION SLIGHTLY IMPROVED.

Auckland, September 22.

A slight improvement in the condition of John Leslie Buckley, the prisoner who was shot when attempting to escape from Mount Eden gaol on Friday afternoon, was reported by the hospital authorities this afternoon. Buckley, who was seriously injured by shot, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital in a critical condition which is still serious although slightly improved.

Describing Buckley's escape two little girls said that they saw a man jump over the low stone wall. He ran about ten yards and then threw up his hands and fell on his face. A warder with a rifle in his hand came running from a house at the corner of the gaol and he stopped when he got to the other man who was lying down moaning terribly. There was a lot of blood on his clothes. It was raining heavily at the time Buckley escaped-