CONVICT'S ROMANCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12131, 25 July 1907, Page 7

CONVICT'S ROMANCE.

HOW AN ESCAPED PRISONER

MADE ATONEMENT.

DIED FIGHTING THE BOERS

A 11 1 a I romance of a convict, the full story oi which is iioav, for the first time, n.iade generally known, is the later lifehistory of Ralph Goodwin, whose famous tccapo from Dartmoor Prison, at Christmastido. in 1897, was the sensation of the period, and who subsequently died for his country in the South African war. Day was- Availing on Christmas Eve. 1897. when threo convicts made a clash •9or liberty under the cover of one of those moorland foes which come down with remarkable suddenness and density. Tho chief warder shouted, "Cover tliem; fire!" A scream followed the shots, and William Carter was picked up dead, <-hot through the heart. As his conviction for the Lewis-ham murder— a brutal crime, in which an old man wart done in death—<mly just failed, a just retribution, it was generally thmic;ht, had overtaken him.

Martin was cornered, and stood at bay under a tree. Be threatened tho u Jardov with a piece of granite, but was felled by a. blow from a, bludgeon and carried unconscious to his cell.

As Goodwin leapt a hedge lift heard thr» death shriek of Garter, and felt the whizz of a bullrit that just missed his own head. He fled like a, hare through the fog, running for miles in torrents of rain, now- .stopping a while- to take bypath, and often plunging up to his waist into the moorland bogs. On and on ho went through tho night, covering rnanv miles.

TJUNNTNG IN A CIRCLE

Daylight was breaking when ho observed tiT> outlines of hou6es in tho drstance. Moving, confidently towards tides' 1 under the impression that he had reached Pi-month (sixteen mile? from tho prison).' he found to his dtomay that he had. in the darkness, been simply circling round Princetown, and that even now he was within reach of the prison. Afraid to surrender, lest he should he "shot on sight" before he could make his peaceful intentions known, Grodwiu crept up one side of a tor and rolled down the other, and then >ped pcrnas country. His Christmas Bay was spent in leaping streams, climbing hrdp-es, and fording rivers. When darkne-s came mi lie. broke id|pl two houses, from which Ire secured chancre, of clothing, a portion of turkey and Christmas pudding. Thus, though later in the day than usual, he enjoyed the befit Christmas fare he toad* had for yeni-?. Striking the railway and making occasional detours for the purpose of secmring food and for throwing his pursuers off the scene, he reached Devonport during the third night of his freedom. His nerves betrayed mm on the outskirts of the town in the early hours of a dark Sunday morning. He has parsed a policeman oni the other side of the road irid was 6O.m© yards away, when the officer's dog scuttled after him. Thinking it was the officer, Goodwin started to run and the. local policeman at once*, of course, suspected something

and gave, chase. Levelling liis pipe at tbo convict in the darkness, he threatened to shoot. Goodwin at once gave himself up and was subsequently returned to serve his sentence.

HELP FROM MAN HE ROBBED

That is tho story that was made known at tho time. What is not known is that tho gentleman whose housa the escaped prisoner first burgled for his Christmas dinner, mild: who was a well known local philanthropist, interested himself in tho convict and visited him in prison. And when Goodwin's term had wit length expired, his benefactor with some friends got the money for tl.'iD purchase of ia ticket for the exconvict's passage to South Africa, and placed a su.m in the hands of the captain to hand rto him on Landing. Goodwin's letters homo informed those friends that, when, the war .stai'ted. lie had in am assumed name jainod one of tho corps of irregular mounted infantry and hiad secured .rapid promotion..

And when some time later the official casualty lists contained the announcement that Sergeant , of Bethune's Horse, had been* shot- in an attack on tho enemy, those who had known that he had been largely the victim of circumstances and was really a good' fellow at heart,, knew that he had expiated whatever offence he had committed, and had given Irs life in the- cause of tho country against whose society his hand had l>een temporarily turned.—London "Daily Chronicle."