ESCAPE FROM GAOL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144147, 17 July 1913, Page 7

ESCAPE FROM GAOL.

THE CAPTIVE’S STORY. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, July 17.' At the Police Court, a lad named Joseph Christie was charged with having escaped from gaol. Describing his recapture by a warder, he said that the first ho knew bf the warder’s presence was a flash from a revolver across his ear, that tho warder thumped him on the forehead with tho butt of tho revolver, struck him on the stomach with his kneo, handcuffed him, dragged him across a paddock at tho revolver point, though ho was unarmed and gave no provocation. Tho warder, in evidence, said Christie resisted arrest, and was- struggling when his revolver went off accidentally. Ho had to knock prisoner down to handcuff him.

Prisoner was described as well behaved when in gaol. He was under sentence of two years’ imprisonment and ten years’ reform::!,:vo treatment. Tho magistrate imposed a sentence of six months’ hard labour concurrent with the present sentence, tho real penalty being that ho could not in tho meantime have his application for a reduction of term considered by tho Prisons Board. Tho magistrate added if he wished to make a charge against the warder he would bo afforded tho opportunity of doing so in the proper way.