The Clever Escape at Mount Cook Gaol.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5840, 1 February 1887, Page 4

The Clever Escape at Mount Cook Gaol.

CK4BTKEE AT LARGE.

[Bt Telegraph. J

[from our own correspondent.! WELLINGTON, Jan. 31.

At an early hour yesterday morning, a Canterbury convict, named John William Crabtree, escaped from the Mount Cook gaol, and up to the hour of writing this he has not been re- captured. Crabtree was confined in a separate cell from the other prisoners, and as it was known that he would use every endeavour to escape, strict instructions were given to have his movements clobely watched. This instruction does not appear to have been acted upon, as the warder on duty stated ab the official investigation this morning that the last time ho made his rounds was at 4.40 yesterday morning, and he did not again visit the prisoner's cell till 5.20, whereas he should have done so every half -hour. He did not take special notice of this cell, as instructed, and was not aware the prisoner was missing till 5.20, when he noticed something wroug with the door. On looking into the room he found it empty, and then gave the alarm. It is supposed that the prisoner had effected his escape some hours before that. The inspection of the cell must have been of a very perfunctory character, for Crabtree must have been working all night, and he could nob have effected his escape without making considerable noise. The method by which he obtained bia liberty was ingenious. He had by some means obtained a gouge, and first tried to remove the staple of the door. Finding this impossible, he gouged out the hinges, and was thus enabled to force the door open from the back and squeeze himself out. The official enquiry held to-day shows negligence on the part of the warder whose duty it was to inspect the cells through the night. Crabtree waa convicted in Christchurch in January, 1885, on two charges of horse stealing, and sentenced to ten years' penal servitude on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently. He was also at the same time sentenced, on four chargew of larceny, to three years* imprisonment, the sentences making a total of thirteen years' penal servitude. He is a baker by trade, and has a. wife residing in Cashel street East, Christchurch. The convict, while incarcerated in the Lyttelton gaol, attempted an escape, and about two years ago he made another attempt from Mount Cook gaol, but was caught ia the act by the gaoler, Mr Garvey. He is described as a dangerous man to oe at large. In connection with the convict's former attempt to escape, it may be mentioned that he adopted a somewhat similar plan to that which he put into effect this time. He had secreted a gimlet, and during the night had bored through a wide plank in his cell* the gimlet holes being so close together that there would have been no difficulty in taking out the cord. Daylight came before the work was finished, and with it a warder. Crabtree was found sitting up in hia hammock with hi 3 back against the wall hiding his work, and when told to get up declared that he had such nn attack of rheumatism that he could not leave; The gaoler was sent for and ordered the man to bo forcibly removed. The prisoner, finding he could conceal his work no longer, exclaimed, " It's all up with mo now," and showed what he had been doing. His blankets were sewn together ready to be used for scaling the pallisades, and concealed in them was a gimlet with the worm almost worn smooth. It had been made to do severe work that night. [Pbr Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Jan. 31. At the official inquiry to-day, it was shown that the method by which he obtained hia liberty was ingenious. He had, by some means, obtained a gouge, and first tried to remove the staple of the door. Finding this impossible, he gouged out the hinges, and was then enabled to force the door open from the back, and squeeze himself out. How he got over the gaol wall without being observed is not knowD, : but as the walls are not high, t hfre would ' be no great difficulty in doing bo it' the convict got out of his cell while darkness prevailed. The inquiry shows negligence on the part of the warder, whose duty it was to inspect the cells through the night. It is believed that Crabtree is being sheltered in town. Later. Up to the present (11 p.m.) Crabtree is still at large, but a boy has reported to the Slice that he had seen a man answering to c description at Lowry Bay, on the ' opposite side of the harbour.