ESCAPES FROM PRISON

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1929, Page 17 (Supplement)

ESCAPES FROM PRISON

MYSTERY OF POWELKA

(By

“Scrutator.”)

Wounded by a warder’s bullet, John Leslie Buckley now lies in hospital after his attempted escape "from Mt. "Eden,Gaol. This is' his' second adventure of the same sort, for it was only about ft year ago that he eluded the. prison- of-; ficials arid roamed the southern part, of the Auckland province for* seven weeks before being recaptured. • •' ■ But Buckley still has a long way to <ro before he can equal the perforriiance of Joe Po.welka,. nearly 20 years ago. 1 Powelka escaped twice from lock-ups and twice from the Terrace Gaol in Wellington. Tlie last time he disappear-; ed completely. Years . later rumours. Continued to float in. He had-been seen in Central Otago, the-Mokau district, in Central Australia; in South America. Never, however, was a rumour proved a fact. 1 ■ ■ Powelka >vas about 26 years old, the same age as Buckley; He was of Polish extraction, and his parents were farmers in the Palmerston North district. The feature about him, however, that, interested the people of the North Island most of all was the way lie shot - rats’ with a revolver at the Longburn Freezing Works. He never missed! . The ' consequence was that while Powelka was. at large there 1 were not many men who did not carry revolvers in their pockets, or rifles in their houses. In fact, it is said that it was no uncommon thing at theatrical performances' for tlie remark to be made to\the cloakroom' attendant: “Mind that coat. There iBj a revolver in the pocket.” The discovery that Powelka was a criminal was made by accident. One morning at the end of 1999 Mrs. Powelka went to the police station to complain that her husband had threatened to shoot her. No sooner had she been sent to the courthouse to lay an information than who should - walk into; the station but Powelka himself. He, in turn, complained ; about his wife, but Sergt. Stagpoole (now living in retirement in New Plymouth) was dubious about the man, and, after dispossessing him of his revolver detained him in custody. ' •/ / - Then the sergeant ' and> Detective Quirk visited the Powelka home. They, found it exceedingly well furnished with stolen" chairs, tables, carpets; books ■and pictures. . After being .remanded and : sent to Wellington, Powelka was returned to Palmerston North for further court proceedings. One day he was in the small square yard,-.of. the . local lock-up. The ' aaoler left him there for a fey seconds. Acting, quickly, the prisoner piled five-or six tins against the wall, took a running leap on to them, and vaulted over the 10ft wall. Rushing down a right-of-way and round to the Square, he-jumped on a ; bicycle and rode *away. It [ was 14 . days later .before he was. recaptured on the roadside at Awahuri by Constable Barry, who. detairied him till Sergt.■ Stagpoole and Detective Quirk arrived. He was again' brought before the magistrate, remanded on some charges; and committed for trial on others.

Back again in Wellington, Powelka was taken to the Lambton Quay lock-up on liis way to .the gaol. That was on March 23, 1910, . surely a meriiorable date, for it was the beginning of a period of terror during which tlie whole southern part of the North Island was quivering with excitement or fear. It was on “that date that Powelka made ' his second escape from a lock-up, hjd in some cattle trucks,, and was given a free ride to the -Manawatu. Though Powelka had several ribs missing, was subject to lung trouble and was weedy looking, he was actually a superb bushman with a wiry constitution. Added to this, he'knew *’ie country perfectly. For three or four iveeks he . roamed the district at liberty, always pursued on all sides, yet always eluding capture. Those were the days before compulsory military training, and dozens of enthusiastic Volunteers co-operated with the police. When the fugitive was suspected of being in a certain residential block these civilians would sit all night on chairs placed bn .a footpath, with rifles across their -knees ready for instant use should there be a suspicious movement on the opposite side of the road.; A troop of-boy: scouts arrived from Wellington. They and their scoutmaster were quite sure qrie night that the escapee was in a dilapidated whare hear the Manawatu River. Just as-they were about to rush and seize their quarry, however, a harmless oldpensioner appeared at the door, and asked what all,the trouble was about! - But. there was a tragic side to the feverish pursuit. ■ One night armed .civilians and police surrounded a private house at Terrace End. The watchers were lying around ready to shoot. Something moved in the dark. There was- no reply to challenges. A man fired. “He’s . mine!” shouted several men as they rushed forward. Then—“Oh, my God! It’s Mick Quirk.” The detective’s brother, who,had volunteered for the search, had been shot dead. t On a Sunday evening about a week later Powelka 'was supposed to be in the grounds of Mr. Hammond, a butcher, against whom he had sworn vengeance. Sergt. Maquire, recently arrived from Dunedin, was standing in the shadow of a chimney. Someone came to o-rips with him. Someone else fired. The sergeant was mortally wounded. It was proved next day that Powelka had b?en on the lawn that night, but he was later acquitted of the shooting. Palmerston will never forget its night of fires. First a large wing of the old wooden High School went, up in flames and smoke. -While that outbreak was still raging Pegden’s new furniture shop in the Square caught alight, That fire was unquelled when smoke was seen issuing from a window of Millar .and Gorgi’s mercery shop across the street. Thai was still burning when a fire was reported in -an empty house near the river. ’ ( ■ -Powelka left a note in a milk can denying incendiarism, but the chain of evidence was- too strong. His fingei print was found on a piece of glass lit the High School,, a. High School belt

was found on a packing case •in the mercery shop and, .when arrested, Powelka was wearing a pair of riding trousers from the case. A bicycle miss-, ing from the High School was found outside a Chinaman’s garden, whence. Powelka/stole . a horse. On this he crossed the Fitzherbert Bridge in the dark, despite the fact that it was guarded by two policemen! .' ,1 When next heard of he was on the Pahiatua track. Here when pursuit bey came too hot he discarded the horse and took to the :bush, subsequently swimming the river back, to Ashhurst. There he broke into tlie railway station and stole - some wine, whisky x and biscuits awaiting delivery. .For days he lay concealed in the scrub, unfound, even though at times he could have touched the legs of the searchers. Then ..he moved° into a hay-loft, where he lay with a revolver across his arm. The place -was surrounded and Constables. Gallagher and- Thompson climbed into the loft and pounced on the fugitive,. He was dead' drunk. In the following month, May, Powelka was sentenebd to 21 years’ imprisonment on a formidable list of theft and. arson charges, and waa safely lodged in the Terrace Gaol. It was not until next August that he made his next escape, but he was recaptured sonio hours later in a building in the course of erection. Still undeterred, however, he successfully repeated tlie perfoi in-, ance one night a week later. Scaling the wall, he reached the road and was apparently taken away in a waiting conveyance. Before daylight came ft schooner had, f sailed from “ Wellington for sValparftiso.