HIDE & SEEK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 October 1940, Page 6

HIDE & SEEK

PLAYED BY ESCAPED PRISONERS DURING HUNT IN PARNELL AND REMUERA. SOME CLOTHING FOUND (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. October 3. The four prisoners, who made a sensational escape from the Auckland Prison early on Tuesday evening, are still at large. They apparently played hide-and-seek with large parties of police searching for them yesterday in Parnell and Remuera districts. Last night and again early this morning definite information that the escaped men had camped on property of Mr J. Martin Wilson, Shore Road, Remuera, was obtained by the police. Important developments have been the discovery of three pairs of prison trousers and two pairs of prison socks on Mr Wilson’s property, the theft early this morning of a small car from the garage of Mr A. M. Jackson, Orakei Road, Remuera, and reports from two women in this neighbourhood that they saw three of the escaped prisoners. It is thought likely that the prisoners after dashing from the car in Crowhurst Street, Newmarket, at G. 15 on Tuesday evening, made their way along the railway line and climbed up a clay bank to gain the rear of Mrs West’s house in Ayr Street, from whose property an overcoat, a cardigan, a pair of socks and a tomahawk were stolen, and that till early this morning they remained in the vicinity of the foreshore between Judge’s Bay and Hobson Bay..

Large numbers of police thoroughly searched this locality all day yesterday, without finding any trace of the fugitives, who evidently watched the proceedings from their place of hiding. There is good reason to believe that

last night the escaped prisoners camped on Mr Martin Wilson’s property of ■’ 17 acres, and that they lay in hiding ; not many yards away from a large I circular summer-house, in which two - constables were keeping vigil for the fugitives. It was because of a discovery made ■ by Mr Wilson at 8 o’clock last night . that a number of police were rushed to his place to search for the prisoners. After listening to a radio message at 8 o’clock, warning owners of all cars to remove the keys from the ignition switches, “I went out to my garage to take my switch key out,” said Mr Wil- '■ son this morning. “I did not take a torch with me, and I did not have a match. The garage doors were open. ' I went into the garage and was surprised to find that the key had been removed from my big sedan. Then I got a further surprise to find a large,

brand new axe lying on the rear seat of the car. This was my own axe and it had been taken from the toolshed in the garage. I immediately telephoned the police and a posse of men was sent out'. Two of them stayed all night and waited in the summer-house at the back of the garage, but they saw no sign of the prisoners.” This morning shortly after G o’clock about 20 detectives and constables in charge of Sub-Inspector Hall arrived at, Mr Wilson’s house and made a close search of the property, which affords good cover in some long grass. Under a tree on the top of a steep cliff above the sea in Hobson Bay the police found three pairs of trousers, two pairs of prison socks, and a tomahawk. The nearby grass had been stamped down, indicating that the prisoners had spent some time there. The prison clothing was wet through. Two overcoats were found to have

been stolen from Mr Wilson’s garage. It is possible that other articles of clothing were also taken. It is now believed that on Tuesday night the men had the key of the main door of the prison. It was on the bunch of keys in the possession of one of the warders who was knocked unconscious. It is also believed that the key jammed in the lock and that the prisoners then went to another door, of which they had the key. It is believed that by swinging their combined weight on it they broke a stout padlocked chain which held the latter door.

QUESTION IN HOUSE STATEMENT BY MINISTER CRITICISM RESENTED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Replying to a question in the House of Representatives yesterday, the Minister in Charge of Prisons (Dr McMillan) said: “The recent prison break from Mt Eden is the subject of aji investigation by the authorities, and members can rest assured that should inquiries reveal that there has been any relaxation of the customary vigilance, the necessary remedial steps will be taken. The fact that there has not been a single escape from Mt Eden prison during the past five years, till this recent happening, is evidence of the careful precautions taken by the authorities at this prison, where it is well known that the worst criminals in the Dominion are incarcerated.” Contrary to an implication in the question, the Minister added, not all prisoners were permitted to wear civilian clothes, this privilege being accorded only to those prisoners whose industry and conduct were satisfactory. Prisoners about whom there were doubts were not accorded these privileges, and indeed the prisoners who escaped were dressed in prison clothes. The wearing of civilian clothes, the Minister contended, might reduce rather than increase the danger to the lives and property of the general public. An escaped prisoner in prison garb, especially if he were a really bad character, was in desperate need of civilian clothes, and must of necessity commit immediate burglary, even if it were with violence, to obtain them. Mr Holland (Opposition. Christchurch North): ‘'You ought to provide him with a motor-car so that he will not have to steal one.” The Minister was critical of what he described as the "irresponsible way” that some newspaper editors were "apportioning blame and making dogmatic statements” in reference to the Auckland occurrence. He knew more details than any editor, but would not pretend to be in a position to assess the factors operating or express a reliable opinion. Dr McMillan concluded by assuring the House that a thorough inquiry would be held and a full statement made as soon as all the facts were in hand.