Daring Escape of a Notorious Convict.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4545, 17 November 1882, Page 3

Daring Escape of a Notorious Convict.

Shortly after six o'clook on tho morning of Sept. 28, when the warders went round to the various oells to inspeot the prisoners in the oonviot eitablishment at Millbank, it was ,

discovered that a notorious housebreaker, named William Lovett, under sentence of 14 years' penal servitude from Maroh laat, had effected hia eaoape during the night in the most daring and astonishing manner from the upper part of the building. He was by trade a stonemason, and was allowed to work at his trade in a part of the yard attached to the prison. It was believed that in somo manner or the other, while at work, he possessed himself of a rope, which he wound round him and subsequently secreted in bis cell, to which he retired in the ordinary course the previous night. It appears that he had effected hia escape by making a hole in the roof, and lowering himself into the governor'a garden by means of the rope, which, breaking in hia descent, furnished him with the means of lashing together two boards, and these placed against the brickwork enabled him to get over the boundary wall, close to whioh are the premises of Messrs Mowlem and Burt, the large oontraotors. For a long time past the prisoner must have worked at loosening the masonry and brickwork at the top of his cell with some aeoreted tool, and it has been discovered that in place of the material removed chewed bread had been substituted by the conviot to deceive the officers. The Scotland Yard detectives, howevor, were soon on his track, and the conviot was recaptured three daya after his escape in tho neighbourhood of Euston Bquare. On his being laid hold of by two ©Ulcere a terriblo struggle ensued, ae Lovett, though of alight build, and having one of hia handa bandaged up, was able to offer very powerful resistance, and it became neceßßary to use auch force in getting on the handouffs that a crowd collected, and, crying out " Shame," at the action of the detectives, added to the difficulty of getting the convict into a cab whicli was waiting for them. The oabman drove off rapidly to the chiof Southwark police station in the Borough, where Lovett made a statement admitting that he was the person wanted, and stating how he contrived to escape. He aleo remarked that the detectives who had oaught him might thank their stars that it was broad daylight when it was done, or one of two men who had run away would have done for them both with the "aix shooter" he carried. The mode of the convict's escape accords in the main, upon hia own showing, with the statements above recorded. He admits finding a piece of rope in the yard of the prison, and to secreting it about his porson. His cell was at tho top of the prison, and after getting through the hole whioh he contrived to make, he made his way on to the roof, and then took off his shirt and tore it into bands, and ao lengthened the cord by whioh he intended to reach the ground. He then got as muoh soot aa he could from a chimney, and rubbed it well into his convict's olothing bo aa to hide all the broad arrow marka with whioh hia clothes were oovered, and daubed it well over his faoe and handa to make himself look like a chimneysweep. This done, he proceeded to lower himself, when the shirting gave way and precipitated him some thirty feet below, but without seriously hurting him, except one of his hands, already referred to, which waa dreadfully cut through striking againßt a quantity of broken glass on a ledge of the prison. A bucket of water, whioh he then get, enabled him to rub the Boot effectually into the conviot marka on hia clothing, so aa to prevent their being seen. He found two builder'a planka in the yard, and these he laoed together with the ropes, and bo made them long enough to enable him to reach the top of the outer wall. He thon drew them up after him, and, placing them on tha other aide, slid down them and so got away. He states that bo good was his disguise, that he passed not only a number of policemen, but went right past two constables outside b cotland Yard without attracting any notioe. At the conclusion of the usnal polioe formalities, Lovett was at once removed baok to Milbank and handed over to the penitentiary authorities.