THE PRISONER'S EXPERIENCES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 4254, 2 June 1888, Page 4

THE PRISONER'S EXPERIENCES.

It 13 hardly five woeks since Jonathan Robert!) made his during escape from tho Timaru gaol. It will bu romemborod that ho run away on tho 2Sth April, and that tho immediate efforts to capture him wers unsuccessful. He was hoard of from time to time, but not njuoh credence was given to the stories. He has becomo vory communicative ainco Lie ro-arroat, and to a largo oxtenfc

corroborates what has been published about him. It appears that he had been watching his opportunity to cut and run, and the audacity of his flight proves his determination to obtain a little liberty during the five years ho had to undergo for horse-stealing. On April 2Sth he, got his opportunity, and used it. In leaving the gaol he visited the clothes closet, took a carpet bag m one hand ond a suit of clothes m the other, and sped with all pn33ible haste to elude the hands of his recent custodians. Ho managed this and, finding a convenient spot, he stripped, changed his broad arrow for something more civilian, ond continued Ins career. That night and several others he slept under haystacks and m sheds, keeping as much to the back country as possible. In the first forty-eight hours he calculated he travelled nearly fifty miles. He beard of a job at Makikihi, and obtained a situation on a threshing machine. Here he worked for a fortnight, and during that time the paddock m which he was, was visited by two policomon, but he escaped identification. Suspecting pursuit, he left for freßh fields, and gradually worked his way to Temuka, where he slept m a stable for three nights and then came northwards, tramping by day and by night and getting his meals aa best he could. At the Ashburton river he saw a horseman, the imago of a mounted constable, and to avoid detection took off his trousers and; waded the stream. He passed Sakaia m daylight, and slowly journeyed northwards until he reached Killinchy last Tuesday week. There he offered his services to Mrs Crowe, •who declined them as she did not want a man. He asked only 10s a week wagos when he repeated his offer, which Mrs Crowe finally accepted, and on her farm he worked for nine days, winding up his adventures by i falling into the hands o£ the Christchurch police. On ona occasion when down South he got into a peculiar situation. Early one morning ho called at a door and asked for some hot water with which to make tea. " How many are you ? " said the good lady. " There's only one," answered the interrogator. " Then come m and have breakfast," replied the good dame. In Roberts went and sat down to breakfast with the good lady and her two daughters. Of course, conversation was started, and turned on the Roberts escapade. One young lady would'nt tell if she knew where he was ; the other would. Roberts felt uneasy, as he was so much spoken of, until the conversation dropped by one young lady observing that they shouldn't say things about the man, because they didn't know how far ho wa9 away. This was too much. Roberta excused himself, quietly retired, and then put come distance between him nnd that house, the lady of which serves milk to the Timaru station, and was ona of the earliest to put the police on the scent. Roberts, with all his travelling and knocking about, has succeeded m faring well, judging from the healthy appearance he presents m his latest home. — Press. (By Telegraph.) ROBERTS BEFORE THE COURT. CHRISTCHURCH, Jitsb 1. As the Resident Magistrates Court to-day Jonathan Roberts was remanded till Tuesday. Ho appears m capital condition, and said he would plead guilty as he wanted to have it over as soon as possible.