A SHORT LIBERTY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1360, 22 June 1918, Page 10

A SHORT LIBERTY.

PRISONER ESCAPES FROM GAOL. Frederick Fletcher, a resident of Christchurch, who had already served nine of his fourteen days' sentence of imprisonment in Lyttelton gaol, in connection with a maintenance conviction, yesterday decamped while working with some fellowprisoners at the council's quarry. At about 3 o'clock, Warder Lowe, who was iij charge of the men, had occasion to go into the smith's forge at the quarry, and on returning shortly afterwards was told that Fletcher had gone for a drink. A diligent search of the most likely hiding places, however, failed to locate the missing man.

The man was apprehended about 11.30 last night at Woolston, where he was wandering about, still attired in the prison garb. He appeared in the Magistrate's Court before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., this morning, and pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody, adding that "he did not know what he had cleared out for." The accused, who appeared in the dock in prison clothing, seemed a man of low mentality. Sub-inspector Mullany said that the man had given himself up. to the police at Woolston, when he was in an exhausted condition through wet and cold. He asked the Magistrate to look upon the escape as a serious offence, as an attempted escape, even when the escapee gave himself up later, had a bad effect on the discipline of the prisoners in the gaol. The prisoner was sentenced to a further term of 14 days' imprisonment.