ESCAPE OF A PRISONER IN VICTORIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1532, 15 July 1886, Page 3

ESCAPE OF A PRISONER IN VICTORIA.

A daring escape from custody wag effected hy John Proctor, a prisoner of the Crown, recently. The escapee was sentenced to five 7 ear*’ imprisonment for forgery at Maryborough in 1883, and since then has been confined in the local goal. It was decided that be should serve the balance of his sentence at Pentridgo, and Constable Snow was instructed lo convey him to the Melbourne lock-up. The constable left Maryborough at ten minutes ' to 11 a.m, with Proolor, who was handcuffed and in ment of a scond-olass carriage. The train prison clothes, They rode alone in a comparthad just passed through the Keilor road station, fifteen miles from Melbourne, and was going at full speed, when Proctor made a sudden dash at the door of the compartment, burst it open, and jumped out. Snow attempted to seize him but failed, and had no ohatoe to use the revolver with which he was armed, The train did not stop until it reached Footsoray, where Snow alighted and started out with Mounted-Constable Kavanagh to search for the escaped prisoner. The latter was found at Mrs Taylor's station, about a mile from Eeilor, by Trooper Ashton. Two platelayer*, to whom Proc tor bad revealed his identity, kept the man under surveillance until the arrival of Ashton, who was doing duty at Keilor sports. The runaway had contrived to break one of his handcuffs, but was unable to get rid of the other link from his wrist. Subsequently to leaving the train he divested himself of his prison clothes, end managed to procure a dark tweed suit of clothes and a felt bat. Proctor stated that an irresistible impulse seized him to escape as he saw the distance from the place of his confinement growing gradually less. In jumping from the train he sustained some slight injury to bis shoulder and the back oi bis head.